THE spotlight has fallen mostly on Lamar Odom and Justin Brownlee as the imports expected to lead Mighty Sports in its bid for top honors in the Dubai International Tournament that unfolds on Friday at the Sbabab Al Ahli Club.
It’s understandable; everybody knows Odom, who’s a two-time NBA champion and a former Los Angeles Lakers star, while Brownlee is Barangay Ginebra’s beloved resident PBA import.
But they say good things come in threes.
And it’s Mighty’s third reinforcement, Randolph Morris, who coach Charles Tiu expects to be the barometer of the team’s success in the cutthroat annual regional tournament that has attracted 10 teams this year.
“Randolph Morris is the least talked about among our imports because, of course, we’re all familiar with Lamar Odom and Brownlee, but for me, he is going to be the difference maker for us if we are going to win this tournament,” Tiu said.
Morris, who turned 33 last January 2, has the credentials to back it up.
The Kentucky product is a legitimate NBA veteran, having played four years in the premier basketball league in the world: two years with the New York Knicks, and the other two years with the Atlanta Hawks, the last in 2010.
The he spent the next eight years of his career in the Chinese Basketball Association with the Beijing Ducks, who he led to three CBA titles in 2012, 2014, and 2015, including in 2014 when he won Finals MVP.
And the 6-foot-11 slotman is hoping to do the same with Mighty Sports this time as he anchors the frontline alongside Odom.
“He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve worked with and can really dominate the game when he wants to,” Tiu said. “An import doesn’t last long in China and win championships for no reason.”
We’ll see how long Morris and Mighty Sports will last in Dubai soon enough.
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