Joel Embiid, 76ers Support Marcus Morris’ Key to City Honor

The Philadelphia 76ers had off on Thursday following their loss against the Atlanta Hawks on the road on Wednesday night, but the team still got together for a special occasion.

On Thursday morning, Philadelphia-born veteran forward Marcus Morris received a key to the city at City Hall. All of his teammates, including the injured Joel Embiid, made the trip downtown to show support for the veteran’s latest honor.

Morris hasn’t been with the Sixers for a long time, but he’s represented Philadelphia throughout his entire career. As he mentioned in his speech on Thursday, Morris would typically get introduced as Marcus Morris from North Philadelphia, as opposed to Morris from Kansas, where he played three years of college hoops.

This season, a trade between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sixers allowed Morris to represent Philadelphia to the fullest now that he plays for the town’s pro hoops squad.

showing some #BrotherlyLove for @MookMorris2 as he’s presented with the key to the city! 🔑🥹 pic.twitter.com/Uo8i7hxFqR
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 11, 2024

Despite a slow start with the Sixers following a trade on Halloween morning, Morris has really hit his stride as of late. During the Sixers’ November 22 matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the veteran picked up his first start of the season, which allowed him to exceed 15 minutes on the court for just the second time since he landed with the Sixers.

During that loss to the Timberwolves, Morris shined as he hit 50 percent of his shots from the field, scoring 16 points. From that point on, he maintained a steady role in Nick Nurse’s rotation as a reserve and an occasional starter.

Following that night in Minnesota, Morris has appeared in 20 of the Sixers’ previous 21 games. He’s been averaging 19 minutes on the court and getting up six shots per game. Through that stretch, Morris has knocked down 47 percent of his shots and averaged 43 percent from three. He’s averaging eight points per game, along with three rebounds, one assist, and a steal.

Morris’ future in the NBA remains in question even though the Sixers acquired him in the James Harden blockbuster deal. Not only is his contract expiring at the end of the year, but Morris was frequently rumored as a potential trade candidate from the day he landed on Philadelphia’s roster.

Like every other pro in the game, Morris is focused on the task at hand and doing what he can to take advantage of his role on the 76ers without letting the outside noise distract him. It’s unclear what will happen between now and the deadline, which kicks in next month, but Morris is enjoying every moment at home in the City of Brotherly Love right now.