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Adam Morrison deserves this moment.
This is his moment to catch his breath, let the events of the past month soak in for a moment and realize what a wild ride he’s been on since the 2006 NBA Draft on June 28.
And he’s just getting started.
Five days after being selected by the Bobcats with the third overall pick in the draft, Morrison was in Charlotte for six days of summer camp before heading to the Orlando Summer League with his Charlotte teammates. While there, he averaged a league-high 24.6 points and made the All-League Team while helping lead the Bobcats to a 3-2 record.
Following a four-day break, Morrison has been back at it since July 19 in Las Vegas, where he’s been the last six days trying to earn a spot on the USA Basketball Team that will compete in the FIBA World Championships in August.
“It’s obviously a great honor to be here,” Morrison said Monday. “It’s a special thing, and I’m excited to be a part of it. When I first got here and put on that USA jersey, it was a humbling moment because a lot of great players have put on that same jersey.”
Morrison is one of 24 NBA players invited to USA Basketball’s training camp, and with stars such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Antawn Jamison, Michael Redd and more in Las Vegas, he is considered a long shot to make it past today’s first cut that will whittle the roster to 15 players.
“I’m not sure how I can explain how much it would mean to me to make this team, but obviously there are some great players here,” he said. “Either way, it’s going to be a positive for me, and if things don’t work out for me, I’ll head back to Charlotte and get working.
“Being the rookie here really hasn’t made anything that much more difficult. Obviously things here are on a higher level, so it’s been good for me to get out here against this type of competition early in my NBA career. It’s cool playing against guys like LeBron, Dwyane and Carmelo (Anthony). It’s a good head start for me, and I hope to use it to my advantage.”
The Bobcats rookie isn’t just learning by taking on some of the league’s best. He’s also soaking in whatever advice the NBA veterans have given him.
“That’s one of the best parts about being here – learning from all these guys,” Morrison said. “I’ve hung out with Brad Miller from the Sacramento Kings a little bit. He’s been giving me some advice, among the most important is to make sure I get ready physically. It’s also more mental with the tiredness setting in as the season wears on, so you just have to make sure your mind is right before you get going.”
While receiving advice from NBA vets has been a nice perk, Morrison has stayed focused and been giving it everything he can in camp in an attempt to don the Red, White and Blue.
“I think I’m a good fit here with my outside shot,” he said. “The most difficult thing for me has been not having the ball and having to get used to being the off guy, but that would be my role if I make this team. There are a lot of All-Stars on this team, so I’d be willing to do whatever they wanted me to do.
“It’s been challenging out here. Everybody is taking on everybody. It’s not really straight matchups. It’s hard to say who has been toughest for me to match up against because they really just have me spotting up and shooting. It’s a different offense and not really one-on-one. That’s something they’ve really been stressing, not to go one-on-one as much.”
Morrison has also had the opportunity to hone his basketball skills under the tutelage of some of the game’s best coaches, including Team USA Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), and assistant coaches Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Mike D’Antoni (Phoenix Suns) and Nate McMillan (Portland Trail Blazers).
“It’s been pretty cool learning underneath Coach K,” Morrison said. “He’s a great coach and has the championships to prove it, so he knows what he’s talking about – all our coaches do. You can see here that they’re trying to change USA Basketball. They want to make it fair, and make sure that everybody is ready to go.
“It’s been a pretty intense camp. Obviously we have a lot to prove, but the most important thing is gelling as a team, and we’ll worry about the games later. We’re starting to gel a little bit and are on our way.”
Morrison hopes the ride he’s been on this last month will continue with Team USA when cuts are made today, but will be ready to move onto the newest challenge and create his next moment should things not work in his favor.
“I’m not really nervous at all. It’s a win-win situation for me,” he said. “If I make this team, that would be great. If I don’t, I’ve had the opportunity to go up against the best of the best and will get the opportunity to start working for the regular season.”
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