A COFFEE WITH… TERENCE MORRIS

"My father ended up leaving when I was young so it forced me to do things at a young age kids shouldn’t have to do."

Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Terence Morris, one of the most important Power Forward of Euroleague in the last 15 years. If you want to read the interview translated into Spanish, please click the following link.

UN CAFE CON… TERENCE MORRIS

Q: Your beginnins like basketball player was in Governor Thomas Johnson High School, leading the team to the State Title. Did you think in a future like profesional player, or did you only play for fun?

A: When I was growing up playing professional felt out of reach for me, not because I wasn’t good enough, because those guys were the stars of stars and where we came from it was hard to accomplish something in that magnitude. I started off playing for fun and it grew into my everyday life, where I would play everyday weather it was before school, at lunch and definitely after school. It turned into a love tie this day I still play almost everyday. I never thought about professional until my Junior year in college. I wanted to use college for a stepping stone for a better life.

Q: There you played for Thomas Tommy Dickman, one of the most important coachs in High School. What feelings do you have about him?

A: We still talk to this day. Coach Dickman did some amazing things for me. Always kept me focused and not like some of the people in my neighborhood where I grew up. My father ended up leaving when I was young so it forced me to do things at a young age kids shouldn’t have to do. But, him and his family were always there and I am forever grateful for what he has done, on and off the court.

Q: In Maryland University, after your Sophomore year, you have the chance to go to the NBA draft (you could have been sellected in top 5), but you decided to stay in the University for two more years. Why did you take this decision?

A: I’ve actually never told anyone my reason, it was because I never really had a family before. This was the first time I actually had people genuinely care about me. My real family haven’t been close in a very long time and the brotherhood that ended up growing in college those guys. I still speak to lil this day, we group text message each other and that’s more than what I do with 1/4 of my real family. Sad but true. Money has never been a problem for me, I never had it growing up and at the time i didn’t need it then. I just didn’t want to leave my brothers behind. Thats the 100% real reason I stayed in school.

Q: You continue 2 more years in Maryland, and at the end, you was selected in second round, pick 33 by Atlanta in 2001 draft. Did you regret for not going 2 years before to the NBA?

A: Do I regret not leaving? I have thought about it before where I could’ve gone and what team could I have actually played for but, that goes out the window pretty fast afterwards. Do I regret, HELL NO!!!! I did and was a part of something. Firstly in our school history was going to the Final Four and honestly I felt we had a few calls in Duke’s favor that we could’ve and should’ve won the National Championship that year. So do I regret, absolutely not. What we did is something nobody can every take from me or us.

Q: After 2 years in Houston, you went to the NBDL, to Columbus Riverdragons, what was the reason to go to the NBDL?

A: My reasoning to go to the D-league was for a call up. To get back into the NBA, if I would’ve taken on a contract in Europe I would have to be over there for an entire season and not get the opportunity for another year. At the end it didn’t work out. Our team wasn’t good and I think we were the only team there that year that didn’t have a call up.

Q: After sign with Clippers, you give up the contract. The same in Orlando Magic. What happened for what you gave up?

A: I never gave up on the Clippers. I was offered a chance to make the team with a few other guys. Shaun Livingston ended up getting hurt pretty bad that preseason and there was only one point guard that was trying to make the cut and that was Rick Brunson. When that injury happened, we all knew who was gonna sign with them. So, then I had to make a move and get myself back to playing again somewhere. That season I went to Appollon Patras in Greece for a half season and played really well and we did things on that team they haven’t done in years was win a road game. Sounds funny but its true, at the end of that season it was back to the drawing boards. By the way my contract was only for a year in Orlando. I didn’t get enough time on the court I felt to show exactly what I could do. But, I was very thankful for being able to play for my favorite basketball team growing up. Nothing made me more happier the time I got to put on the pinstripe jersey, even happier than getting drafted. It’s like a kid growing up watching the NY Yankees never knowing one day you could be wearing that jersey you cheered for and being a member on that team.

Q: You decide to continue your carreer in Europe, and sign with Hapoel Jerusalem. Did you think it was a step back in your carreer?

A: Let me tell you I never felt like what I was doing was never a step back. People can look at things and get discouraged about where they think they should be but, there was a reason my path was so left and right. I never got down on myself. I continued to stay happy because at the end of the day I was still playing basketball. That’s something I would do for free and I was fortunate enough to make a living out of doing it. Even though it’s Europe which a lot of young people get caught up in, its still professional ball and the NBA isn’t the only pro league in the world.

Q: How is the life for a top player in a country with conflict war like Israel?

A: I had no problems living in Israel. The fans were great and I was treated very well everywhere I went. My favorite coach I have ever played for professional was Dan Shamir. There was no favoritism in him, he coached us well, knew how to talk to us as men, and even when we mad mistakes on the court he had the belief in us and especially me to keep me out there and battle through it. Hands down my favourite coach besides my high school coach. Macabbi was amazing. I don’t think I´ve been on a team that talented before including NBA. That season I played aggressive, hungry, injury free and with no ceiling on what I could do. I do feel we had better team than CSKA and we ended up losing to those guys late in the second half but that year was unreal for me personally.

Q: After 2 years, you sign by CSKA Moscow and you lost again the Euroleague. What were your feelings?

A: I ended up going to the finals again and lost in the final game AGAIN (LOL). I just knew it was coming, for being that close for 2 straight years if I went home and worked hard that summer and come back ready I could be back in that position again. My first year of winning Euroleague was my first year in Barcelona. We had a monster team there and we beat up on a lot of teams that season.

Q: You have been lived in 3 countries totally diferents (Spain, Russia and Israel), where were you been more comfortable?

A: Out of the 3 countries, Spain was the most comfortable. Good living off the court, nice beach, casino, and actually my girlfriend at the time, who turned fiancee who Im now married to with 2 kids ended up moving with my in Spain halfway through my first year. Spain was great, but Israel was wonderful. The people made my stay pleasant and enjoyable. I ended up becoming friends with Esteban Batista and we still speak till this day so I gained a lot being over there in Israel.

Q: I remember an incident with Xavi Pascual in a time out in Barcelona against Cholet in Euroleague, what really happened?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTDoEIR0bz8

A: What happened between me and Xavi… (LOL) well, for some reason I didn’t play much that game. I actually didn’t get into the game until late 2nd quarter and I was a little frustrated on why, so me being a little older it takes a few times of running up and down the court to get loose. Well I was put in after sitting for so long and someone hit a long 3 point shot over me while the buzzard was going off. No problem from my end but for some reason it didn’t sit well with Xavi and he said better defense. I have never took anything personal before while playing like that. I’m like “Shit, I’ve been sitting all day, I put a hand up what else can I do” so he gave me this look and I exploded and kicked the water bottle. The reason why I kicked the water bottle was i was subbed out after that play, so from then on I lost all respect for him as a coach. I personally thought it was a shitty move and act on his end. Nothing else to really say about that. Thats the 100% truth about that situation.

Q: In 2010, you won to Lakers in Barcelona, what was the feeling for you in win to the NBA Champion?

A: When we beat the Lakers it was cool but, that was really it. We knew we had a good team going in but, we’ve also been practicing and training sometime before they did. I didn’t think they would take it as serious as we did. It was a measuring stick for us, for them it was an exhibition game which had no real meaning to it. It’s a great story we can tell our kids when were old and grey.

Q: Once left the NBA, did you think any time to return?

A: I felt my best chance to get back into the league was my year after Maccabi but, honestly wasn’t sure I wanted to even go back. I finally felt a team I was happy with and I really wanted to stay there. I’m gonna tell you why that never continued. So, at the end of the season from Maccabi, went home for the summer hoping to hear they wanted to resign me for another year or 2. Me and my agent sat around waiting to hear back from them and see where they wanted to go. No calls or texts back, by this time its 2 weeks I wanna say and still nothing. So my agent calls and says:  “Look I have a few offers on the table”. One was from CSKA, who i hated at the time because they just beat us in the finals for the championship and the other was Dynamo also in Russia. So I said yes, I will talk to Coach Messina and we had a 15 minutes conversation on the phone. I told him, thanks for the offer but I am still holding out for Maccabi, I will give them another 3-4 days. If I don’t hear back from them we can talk again. You can ask him yourself, he agreed and told me what the contract was for me. I didn’t care I wanted to be in Israel on the same team again. 3-4 days go by still nothing, we left messages not one call back. I felt like they gave me the cold shoulder, for what?? I couldn’t tell you. I probably would’ve taken any offer they gave me because I felt like the invested in me coming there the first time that I would do the same. By now those 3-4 days are up, still nothing. Messina calls me and I asked about the team of who was coming back and who else was going to join the team. I had a better feeling going to CSKA than DYNAMO or Efes at the time. The very next day Maccabi calls us back, asking me why did I sign with CSKA, I said you guys never responded back, never gave me any kind of positive thoughts about keeping me. I personally thought they tried to use that against me and I gave that team everything I had that season, so 2 years later I play for Barca and they booed me and Im not gonna lie it hurt because I felt like the management lied to the people on their end to make it seem like I didn’t wanna be there and I left them which obviously wasn’t the case. Maccabi is the best time I ever had playing ball professionally and to hear the management do that to me who I gave everything to still hurts lil this day, it was unfair.

Q: After playing in Barcelona, you retired. Why? I think you was still in a good moment.

A: After my 2nd season in Barcelona, I had a better plan in life and that was to finally start my family. I didn’t have a dad growing up so I knew for myself I wanted to be a great dad for my kids. I ended up getting married that following September and ended up hanging up the professional playing shoes. It happened out of nowhere but I’m healthy, no major injuries while I played and hopefully I’ll be able to bend down and run around with my kids with no pain (LOL). I called it quits when I wanted to on my terms and not someone else. I felt great about it, and I’ll always have the itch to play pro again but, I get to see my wife and kids everyday now with no road trips in between. It kinda worked out well for me in the end.

Q: Did your family always accompany you on your European teams?

A: My family wasn’t born just my GF/Fiancee at the time. I never had one member from my actual family see me or watch me play in Europe. Like I said before I didn’t have the typical family most people had or have.

Q: Guy Goodes, Ettore Messina, Xavi Pascual,… Which of these coachs were more important for you?

A: Out of the coaches you’ve mentioned they all were smart coaches but, only one knew how to communicate with players well and thats Guy Goodes!. He was smart and knew how to talk to players and still get his point across.

Q: Which team do you think was stronger on court? (Maccabi, CSKA or Barcelona)

A: Barcelona was the strongest on the court. I think we were about 10-12 deep that at some point we were all starters on different teams. You could play 6-10 on the court and we could compete or if not better than the starters on the team. That’s how deep we were.

Q: Who was the player that more has impressed you?

A: The player that impressed me the most in Europe had to be Nik Vujcic. Smart, could control the game at his pace, nice passer, just an overall smart player. Most important understood the game.

Q: Could you build the best 5 players that you have ever played?

A: Five best players I have ever played with…, Steve Francis, Nikola Vujcic, Grant Hill, Yao Ming and Dwight Howard.

Q: Do you change your Europe carreer for being one more player in NBA?

A: No, this path was right for me. It made me appreciate everything so I would not change my eurpean career for another year in the NBA.

Q: What is your opinion about Spanish National Team?

A: Spanish national team will always be at the top because they play in such a good league. The young players coming up have good basketball set for them and a good pattern to repeat.

Q: What is your favorite team to win the NBA Championship?

A: My favorite team to watch in Spurs but, my heart is with my home team of the Washington Wizards. I grow up at the time they were the Bullets. I would like to see them finally win one for the home base. I think those guys have finally reached a high point in the team and Scott Brooks has that team believing they are good because they are. Can they beat Cleveland? I think they can and thats really the only team in the East that can compete with them right now.

Q: What are you doing now? Something related to basketball?

A: What I’m doing right now is living. Its almost weird in a way to be able to do whatever I want when I want (LOL). If I feel like going to the movies I can just hop up and go, but mainly I do a lot of family things with my wife and kids. I was blessed enough to out myself in a situation where I can be a stay at home dad for most of my life now. I have run a basketball camp for the first time last summer which turned out to be around 70 kids, turned out great and am thinking about doing another this summer. I personal train kids, I try to pass off all the knowledge I’ve been given throughout my playing life and try to help the youth as much as I can. It’s fun for me and it’s fun to have kids who share that same basketball passion and watch to be the best they can be. Right now that’s mainly what I do.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: My future plans, who knows, only time will tell but I like my life so much right no it’ll be hard to change it.

Q: Terence, thank you very much for taking your time in this interview. It has been a real pleasure

A: Your welcome. I had a blast doing it.