Marcus Morris’ name has been in headlines the past few days more than at any other time while he was still playing in the NBA. The 13-year veteran recently found himself in some legal troubles, fraud charges, to be precise. Of course, the internet will run with narratives as soon as it gets the chance but now that Morris can freely speak about the situation, he has finally broken his silence.
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Morris found himself face to face with authorities at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The charge of fraud came from an overdue check balance for casino markers in Las Vegas. The amount which the 6-foot-8 forward owed was $265,000.
Morris is naturally far from thrilled at the narrative that has begun to spread because of this series of events. Especially since he didn’t commit fraud.
“I’m from North Philly, man, I’ve been through a lot of tougher s***,” Morris said on Real Talk with MJ. “One thing that I am not and that’s a fraud.”
Morris’ negligence to pay back the amount of his checks wasn’t because he wanted to scam the casino. It just came down to him not doing his due diligence.
“I really could have paid it back on time, and I should have paid it back on time,” Morris admitted. “You don’t ever want negative press.”
The timing of this legal situation is extremely poor on Morris’ behalf since he recently began to flourish in his career in sports media. He has become a prominent figure on ESPN’s First Take. Instead of expanding on his recent success, it feels like he has taken a few steps back.
Although that may be the reality, Morris intends to move forward. As a result, he doesn’t want to address anything revolving around his legal troubles ever again.
“I don’t really want to dwell on it or continue to talk about it,” Morris revealed. On the flip side, he does want to use his experience to help others avoid the experience of the same thing. “What I do want to do is shine more light on the young brothers that gamble and the older people, and the understanding of the dynamics of gambling.
Morris is now a free man and his debt with the casino has been paid off. Safe to say he won’t be setting foot in a casino anytime soon. That said, you never know.
