Now, I know this blog is primary about the celluloid world and the content usually reflects this.
But for once, I’m going to veer off from film and talk about something else. That something is basketball, to be more precise, I’m going to wax poetic on basketball and Adam Morrison. Why all of a sudden am I compelled to write about Adam Morrison and basketball on a film blog? Well, the easy answer is, because it’s my blog. I control the content, so I can write about whatever my heart desires. So, with all that said, no film review, just my thoughts on Adam Morrison and the NBA.
Adam Morrison has always been a fascinating figure to me. My first impression of Morrison was that he was a mercurial character who looked like a musician who belonged in the Seattle grunge scene and that he sported a wicked handle bar moustache. Also, like anyone else who sorta follows basketball, I was utterly intrigued when I saw him openly weep when Gonzaga was defeated by UCLA.
So what happened? How did a supersensitive handlebar sporting ball player who was on his way to becoming a legitimate NBA star fall so far from NBA grace?
During the 2006 NBA draft, Morrison was expected to be one of the top three prospects. Critics believed that he was an accomplished scorer who could provide instant offence but expressed concern for his inability to play defense, run and his overall weirdness. Morrison eventually ended up going third, handpicked by MJ to carry his young Bob Cats team.
Morrison’s NBA career unfolded just as people thought it would. He had a solid rookie season that showcased his knack for scoring but also highlighted his inability to play defense, run and his overall weirdness. Sounds familiar? Coming in to the NBA, everybody in this planet knew that about Morrison! Calling him a bust and criticising him for his many shortcomings as a basketball play is the equivalent to a film director casting Keanu Reeves in a heavy duty dramatic role and then chastising him for not having the acting crops to pull it off. Well, what were you expecting? Those who lambasted Morrison for not meeting his potential as a ballplayer are missing the point. His tragedy is not that he failed to accomplish anything during his time in the NBA. Rather it’s the fact that he managed to fail exactly the way we all thought he would. Now that’s sad.
Adam Morrison is no longer playing in the NBA. The Washington Wizards waived him, despite being one of the lowest scoring teams in the NBA.
By David Lam
