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Michael Jordan’s first draft bust: The incredible crash of ex-No.3 pick Adam Morrison

When Michael Jordan takes control of the Charlotte Bobcats, he makes Adam Morrison the 3rd pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. The forward becomes a complete flop. The hype surrounding the college star quickly dissipates, later he makes headlines with curious stories about alleged “apocalypse bunkers”. Morrison celebrates his 38th birthday on July 19th.

What remains of the once intimate friendship between Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley is ultimately just two rants peppered with insults. The two NBA legends have not spoken to each other since 2012, as Barkley revealed on the podcast Icons Club The Ringer later reveals. But the feud begins six years earlier, just before the 2006 draft. It begins with Adam Morrison.

“I called Michael to give him some advice on the draft,” Barkley recalled on a 2006 phone call with MJ, who just a few weeks earlier had made himself a shareholder in the then-Charlotte Bobcats while also serving as front office boss.

Jordan reveals to his pal that he’s considering picking that same Morrison for third pick – to Barkley’s displeasure. “What?! You can’t take him. Michael, he doesn’t have a position. He might be a nice boy, but…” Jordan softens. His coaches would like the college star. “Michael, nobody [im Front Office] will contradict you, they are intimidated by you.”

Jordan’s first tirade follows. In 2012, Barkley reiterated his criticism of the now team owner of the permanently unsuccessful franchise. In a radio interview, Barkley publicly said that he only gathered yes-men around him. MJ unleashes the second tirade, and the former friends haven’t spoken to each other since. So far, pride has prevented reconciliation, but at least when it comes to Morrison’s personal details, it’s clear: Barkley is right.

Adam Morrison: Fairy Tale College Advancement

Looking at the then 22-year-old’s college resume, it’s easy to see why Forward Jordan did it in a mixed draft class in 2006. The son of a basketball coach, he spent most of his childhood in Spokane, Washington, where he even became a ball boy for the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the local varsity.

The young Morrison proved his talent for handling the orange leather early on, but a medical diagnosis seems to put a damper on his career plans: type 1 diabetes. He was just 13 years old when he suffered a seizure during a basketball game and was transported to the hospital where he was diagnosed.

However, Morrison is learning to live with the disease. He adjusts his diet, his daily routine, and soon he’s breaking one high school scoring record after another. Now his ascent is almost like a fairy tale. From ball boy to Bulldogs star. A local hero who has achieved legendary status among fans with his long black hair and his incomparable mustache. Who, despite a serious illness, becomes a role model for many young people with diabetes.

And who can also gamble really well. Ahead of the 2006 draft, comparisons are being made to Larry Bird, Morrison previously averaging 28.1 points for Gonzaga in his third and final year of college. He shared the Oscar Robertson Trophy with JJ Redick as the nation’s top varsity player. After all, he is a finalist at the Naismith and Wooden Awards. The hype is so big that he only checks into hotels under a pseudonym (“Dirk Diggler”).

The crowning of his college career, however, remains denied him. In the NCAA tournament, Gonzaga heartbreakingly fails in the Sweet Sixteen at UCLA after a 17-point lead and several ball losses in the final seconds. After the defeat Morrison collapses on the court in tears. It should be his last college game, the talented scorer is open to all doors in the NBA.

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