Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris was busted for allegedly having weed in a Philadelphia airport
When Markieff Morris was acquired by the Washington Wizards before the NBA Trade Deadline last season, I questioned his character.
Morris, who was upset the Phoenix Suns traded his twin brother Marcus to the Detroit Pistons, demanded a trade publicly. But, it didn’t stop there.
Morris was seen yelling at former Suns coach Jeff Hornacek, later throwing a towel at him and even got into a shoving match with his teammate Archie Goodwin.
Morris’ actions were unacceptable, but the Wizards went through a solid vetting process.
They spoke to his teammates, coaches and even some of the Wizards’ players that were familiar with Morris. They got a stamp of approval and acquired the forward from Phoenix.
Morris quickly adjusted to the Wizards and thrived alongside John Wall. On talent alone, the Wizards didn’t seem to mind trading away a first round pick if they could land a player like Morris. They were right – Morris is worth the trade, if he can stay out of trouble.
Unfortunately, as predicted, Morris will have a difficult time doing the latter.
For some reason, troubled players always find themselves in sticky situations. Morris isn’t any different. He was going to do something dumb, so it was merely a matter of time.
On Thursday afternoon, it was reported that Morris had been detained in a Philadelphia airport for suspected marijuana possession:
"Morris, who was with a party that included his mother, checked a bag for an international trip when “a suspicious item” was found in his suitcase, according to law enforcement.A secondary search of his bag revealed what law enforcement officials called “suspected marijuana.” Terminal A at Philadelphia International is overseen by Tinicum Township Police in Delaware County, not by the Philadelphia Police Department. Philadelphia airport security notified Tinicum Township Police. Morris was then taken to the Tinicum Township Police precinct for questioning. He was later released on his own recognizance."
So, Morris essentially got busted for bringing weed into the airport. It’s a dumb move, to say the least.
This is an entirely different discussion, but I have to mention it: if marijuana were legal, this obviously wouldn’t even be an issue. If Morris had weed in a state that legalized the “drug,” I wouldn’t have to be writing this.
Athletes smoke weed. It’s not breaking news. Morris appears to be one of those athletes.
Morris wasn’t arrested nor charged with anything as of today. It’s also worth mentioning that he has a pending assault charge:
"Phoenix Suns forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris have been charged with felony aggravated assault following an incident on January 24 at a local recreation center.The Morris twins are among five men charged in the alleged assault of a 36-year-old man at the Nin Mason Pulliam Recreation Center."
We’re all highly disappointed in Morris, especially since the situation could have been avoided. Assuming he doesn’t suffer tough consequences and avoids time in the joint, Morris will likely get suspended for his actions by league officials.
As for the Washington Wizards, well, they didn’t have much to say about the situation. According to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post, the team already spoke to Morris.
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It’ll be interesting to see what happens going forward. The league might take action or they might let him slide. Given his reputation, you can likely expect Morris to miss a game or two.