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Morrison looks back to his roots (5 photos)

The former Lakehead men's basketball coach hosted a basketball camp for young players, and took time to reflect on his tenure

THUNDER BAY - Scott Morrison has always been about one thing when it comes to coaching.

Whether it was during his days building the Lakehead Thunderwolves men’s basketball team from the bottom of the OUA into legitimate championship contenders, or during his G-League stint where he coached the Maine Red Claws to a 35-15 record in his first season as head coach, or his current job behind the bench with the NBA’s Boston Celtics, Morrison has stuck to his guiding principle.

“Overall just getting the players in the gym is the main thing,” said Morrison. “Get some reps up and work with whatever they’re working on.”

It’s been six years since Morrison coached his last game with Lakehead, a 50-point shellacking at the hands of the rival Carleton Ravens in the 2013 CIS championship. But considering where Lakehead’s basketball program had been in the three decades prior to Morrison, a second-place finish in Canada was a remarkable accomplishment.

Since then he’s rapidly ascended up the professional coaching ladder to land a spot as an assistant on the Boston Celtics bench, making him only the third Canadian coach with an NBA job.

Nostalgic trip back

On Friday, the C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse was filled with boys and girls between the ages of 10-17 taking in a rare opportunity to learn from an NBA coach. It was characteristically humid inside, just as it was during the times Morrison held summertime workouts with his players.

This time, part of Morrison felt as if it were a playoff game in the middle of winter.

“I had a few goosebumps coming in, it’s just nice to patrol the court again like I used to for so many years.”

The humble beginnings of Morrison’s coaching career hasn’t changed his opinion of Lakehead. He still refers to the building as one of the best basketball atmospheres in the country. He still plays back the memory of shocking No. 1 Carleton in 2009. And he still misses the daily grind of university coaching.

“The main thing I miss is the daily practices, getting up at 6:30 a.m., coming through the side door, dodging some deer on the way here, probably.

“One thing about the NBA, is it’s more about the games, more of a business. That’s one thing I miss.”

On Friday, Morrison gave the young hoopers a crash course on a variety of shooting drills, finishing moves, and words of encouragement.

“It’s not every day you can have someone from the NBA come in and teach you stuff. Daily habits, handles, footwork, shooting… I just think it’s an amazing experience,” Aiden Dougherty, a 16-year-old from St. Ignatius High School, said.

“He was talking about how one of the new NBA players can’t make left-handed lay-ups. That motivated me to really work on my left hand,” 12-year-old Lola Awosika said.

“It’s hard to get the next Gordon Hayward in three hours,” Morrison said, referring to the Celtics’ All-Star guard. “But hopefully the kids take home one thing they can work on, or learn something they wouldn’t have heard otherwise.

New era, old order

Since Morrison’s departure, Lakehead struggled under successor Manny Furtado, leading to the program moving on to Ryan Thomson, a former Thunderwolf turned Morrison disciple. In Thomson’s first season, Lakehead rallied to earn an OUA playoff spot, eventually losing to Brock in the first round.

“They probably just need some time,” said Morrison on the state of the program. “I know Ryan and Matt (Erdman) are doing a great job recruiting, and they have some good young players. You got to take it one piece at a time.”

Thomson said Morrison’s visit was a special opportunity for local players.

“It’s certainly more common to get former NHLers coming back to the city than it is anybody who has anything to do with the NBA," Thomson said.

After Thomson’s playing days were over, Morrison took Thomson under his wing, and helped land him a job with the Red Claws. The two have maintained a close relationship.

“(Morrison’s) a great resource. Thunder Bay is a bit unique in terms of a university town and what we’re trying to do. So getting the information from a guy who did it at a high-level... I can’t really think of a better person to be close to,” Thomson said.

Bittersweet season

The Boston Celtics came into the 2018-19 season as favourites to win the Eastern Conference. Despite the Raptors’ addition of Kawhi Leonard, many experts believed Boston’s overwhelming collection of talent would trump all in the East.

“Last year was a difficult year we weren’t really able to gel as a unit, and we had some issues that were well-documented in the locker room,” Morrison said.

As it unfolded, Boston’s chemistry issues made headlines during the regular season. After sweeping Indiana in the first round of the playoffs, the Celtics were ousted by the Milwaukee Bucks in a tidy five games in round two.

As Canadians everywhere are aware, it was the Toronto Raptors who were crowned NBA champions for the first time in the franchise’s history. As a Canadian coaching the Celtics, Morrison had mixed feelings.

“The Raptors winning was, at least for me, kind of bittersweet,” he said. 

“They’re in our division and in our conference so I’d like to see them lose for that reason. But as a guy who came up hoping Canada would grow as a basketball country, I think it’s nothing but a good thing.”

Despite the departure of all-star point-guard Kyrie Irving in the offseason, the Celtics added reinforcements to keep them competitive.

“For sure nobody’s putting the same expectations on us which is kind of a nice thing for us,” Morrison said.

“As a coaching staff we’re all excited to get this fresh group in. We have some fresh guys that are really high character, and if the summer is any indication we’ve had guys that are coming in and working out every day.”

The next step

While star players shifted around the NBA like chess pieces this summer, Morrison had the job of head coach for the Boston Celtics’ summer league team. He said the experience helped him get some rust off.

He says an NBA head coaching job is a goal of his that may come sooner than later.

“I’m not sure if I’m ready or not. It is a goal of mine. I like to think that in a year or two I would be,” he said.

“If that opportunity ever came, you have to take it.”

For his short time in Thunder Bay, Morrison can reflect on his time at Lakehead, and how it shaped his career mindset on how to approach the game of basketball.

Morrison was asked if he had any doubts when he left Lakehead.

“One hundred per cent. One of my biggest disadvantages was that I wasn't very connected or well-known at all. So for (head) coach Brad Stevens to assign me an All-Star player like Gordon Hayward, the biggest thing was to build a relationship and find his trust," Morrison said.

“Just keeping that P.E.I., or Thunder Bay small-town mentality..., people actually like that. They don’t want to be in the presence of people who’s overbearing.”



Michael Charlebois

About the Author: Michael Charlebois

Michael Charlebois was born and raised in Thunder Bay, where he attended St. Patrick High School and graduated in 2015. He attends Carleton University in Ottawa where he studies journalism.
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