Monte Morris

Monté Robert Morris is an American professional basketball player famed for his incredible performances both in college and in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a vital player for the Detroit Pistons and has carved a fascinating career in basketball.

Monté was born on June 27, 1995, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Lationa Morris who fondly nicknamed him “Man-Man.” He spent the bulk of his childhood in Flint, Michigan, where he nurtured a lifelong friendship with future NBA colleague, Kyle Kuzma, at Dailey Elementary School. Morris’ high school first taste of basketball began at Flint Beecher High School where he was a four-year starter for the Beecher Buccaneers team.

Throughout high school, Morris dominated the basketball court bagging the Michigan’s Associated Press Class C Player of the Year Award three times, and becoming a three-time all-state selection. He proved his worth as a leader, guiding his team in scoring, assists, and steals for four consecutive seasons, and steering Flint Beecher to back-to-back Class C Michigan state titles in 2012 and 2013. His phenomenal performance earned him the prestigious Michigan’s Mr. Basketball award in 2013.

The close of Morris’s high-school career saw him rank No.96 in the final Rivals.com national rankings and No.89 in the Scout.com ratings, cementing his status as one of the nation’s top point guards. After garnering recruitment interests from Butler, Illinois, Indiana, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, USC, and Iowa State, Morris ultimately committed to Iowa State.

Once in Iowa State, Morris’s rise to fame was rapid. He started on the bench and built up an impressive performance that put him in the starting lineup permanently from February 1, 2014. His debut collegiate season was marked by excellent statistics that saw him average 6.8 points, 3.7 assists, reach double figures in 13 games, and posted a season-high of 15 points in an NCAA Tournament win.

Morris’s sophomore year was even more spectacular. He started all 34 games, averaging 11.9 points, earning All-Big 12 Second-Team honors and setting a mark at the Big 12 championships where he led the team to victory without committing a turnover in three games. Furthermore, he shone at national level, breaking the NCAA record and leading the nation with a 4.79 assist-to-turnover ratio.

In 2016, Morris’s junior year was marked by several accolades. He made it to the list of 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award and was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy.

The 2017 season was the zenith of his college career. As a senior, he broke his NCAA record assist-to-turnover ratio from 4.79 to 5.21 and led Iowa State to get into the second round of the NCAA tournament before their loss to Purdue. This remarkable performance caught the attention the NBA scouts.

In the 2017 NBA Draft, Morris was selected in the second round, 51st pick overall by the Denver Nuggets. He split his time between the Nuggets and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League under a two-way contract. On December 12, 2017, he debuted in the NBA against the Detroit Pistons, recording an assist in three minutes of action.

By 2020, Morris had scored a career-high 24 points in a game against the Sacramento Kings. In 2022, he continued to dazzle scoring 13 game-winning points against the Golden State Warriors.

Morris’s remarkable career took another turn in July 2022 when he was traded, alongside Will Barton, to the Washington Wizards. After another year with the Wizards, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons, who remain his current team.

Apart from his activities in the NBA, Morris is committed to international basketball. On March 20, 2021, he pledged to play for the Nigerian national team as a naturalized player. His remarkable journey in basketball is a testament to his incomparable talent and unyielding passion for the sport.