That Quantez Robertson and Mike Morrison can play basketball very well is no secret as both have demonstrated it combined for a total of 18 years in Europe. Robertson who is known everywhere he goes as Tez except for the passport control at airports is a freak athlete that could have alone from his athleticism and defensive qualities played in the NBA, but never got a chance and has belonged to the top defenders and league identity figures in the BBL for years while Morrison has had a consistent career where rebounding and blocking shots have been his strong point and not to mention his thunderous dunks as living on the rim has been as usual for him as going to the beach in his hometown in St Petersburg, Florida. However what many don´t know is that they have a lot more than just basketball skills, but also have comedy skills as their continuous ribbing of each other over the last years has been something I witnessed often and always wondered when will the two have a comedy show, because I would definitely pay money to see it. The two jokesters shared a room on the road for four years and no matter if they were chilling in Russia, Estonia, Slovenia, Israel, Oldenburg or Bremerhaven, one can be sure that more practical jokes were done. Who knows exactly what these two will be doing after their playing days are over, but I could imagine a Quantez Robertson teaching young kids basketball while I could imagine a Mike Morrison donning that stunning suit daily at a 9-5 job in the business world. But it would definitely add something special if somehow the Mike Mo and Tez comedy show would be born. The many comical situations of the two are numerous, but I do have a few over the last few years that are long lasting.

Last season in a 90-63 crushing home victory against Tuebingen and the game long decided Robertson made a steal and went on a break away, but saw the big man Morrison running the floor like a guard and made a underhand pass off the back board for him the way Lebron has displayed catching it and dunking, but it wasn´t perfect and it sailed out of bounds. After the game both gave each other the blame. “ I knew that Tez would throw me the ball. He threw it too soon and I had to jump inward instead of upward. It was Tez´s fault”, joked Mike Morrison. “Of course Mike said it was my fault, but he missed it”, yelled Quantez Robertson. Another funny example of the two making fun of each other was when they met for the first time since their Frankfurt days recently where Morrison had moved on to s.Oliver Wurzburg. Morrison would sweep Robertson and Frankfurt and both were firing away after the Frankfurt loss at home. “It is always fun to play against Mike. We were roommates for four years and had many road trips. I hit a three on him on the first play. We were talking some junk. Mike thinks he is one of the best big man that can guard guards on the perimeter”, smiled ex Auburn(NCAA) guard Quantez Robertson. “I do think that I am one of the best big men that guards guards on the perimeter On that play I had to see how he was feeling and see how he would do. It was a lucky first shot”, smiled Mike Morrison. Another comical example of their good off court chemistry happened when Robertson was watching a Pro B playoff game of the Fraport Skyliners Juniors last weekend against Lok Bernau and watched a rare three by Frankfurt big man Tobias Jahn. Last season Morrison hit a big three against FC Bayern Munich in the playoffs and it had been the first in his professional career. “Tobias hasn´t taken many three´s this season. He played good offense and was getting rebounds. Morrison´s three was funnier. Jahn can shoot, but Mike can´t smiled Quantez Robertson. When Morrison heard of this comment by Tez, he was quick to reply. “Tez can say what he wants. The fact still remains that I have the highest 3 point percentage in the history of the BBL and when someone passes 100 percent let me know”, stressed Mike Morrison. Despite all the joking around, the Florida native has the utmost respect for his ex teammate. “Tez is a jack of all trades. He makes a coaches job so much easier because you can use him in so manydifferent ways. His best attribute is his work ethic. Goes hard every day, forcing others to do the same. Plays so hard during games and can play 40 minutes.

There are many more examples of their comical banter of these two guys so come on somebody give them a show. But we can´t forget that Mike Morrison has had a very respectable career and is a terrific player. Mike Morrison was born on October 31^st 1989 in St Petersburg, Florida and attended Lakewood high school. He then played at George Mason(NCAA) from 2008-2012 playing a total of 127 NCAA games and had his best statistical season as a senior playing 32 games averaging 9.8ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.4apg, 2.0bpg, FGP: 59.0%, FT: 55.0%. As a senior he had some memorable games like his 14/15 game in the 61-58 win over Georgia State or his 17/7 game in the 89-63 victory over Delaware, but his favorite game memory is another. “On the court the most memorable moment for sure was beating Villanova in the tournament. That game was an instant classic”, stressed Mike Morrison. It wasn´t only scoring and rebounding, but he also developed his shot blocking at George Mason and once swatted away 7 balls in a game to share the school record with the general George Evans who played in Germany for Trier. “I didn´t even know that. But to do anything George Evans has done is a meal of honor to us Mason Patriots so that´s pretty cool”, answered Mike Morrison. He credits ex Ohio State standout Jared Sullinger as his toughest cover in the NCAA and also had very formidable competition when he was a freshman with Darryl Monroe who he would later meet again head to head as professionals in a Fiba Europe Cup game in 2016. “Darryl was and is still so talented and really thinks the game. In that 1 year I soaked in as much knowledge as I could. physically I was 200 pounds, there was nothing I could do with him”, said Mike Morrison. The big man also remembers coaches Jim Larranaga and Paul Hewitt for grooming and preparing him for a professional basketball career. “They both are very successful coaches but, more than that, great people. Those 2 and all the assistants played a big part in making me the man I am today on and off the court”, stressed Mike Morrison. He also did something very untypical in his senior year in that he didn´t experience that last summer of freedom before turning professional, but went overseas a little less than two months after his last NCAA game against VCU and turned professional with Port of Antwerp Giants (Belgium-D1): playing 7 games averaging 2.7ppg, 3.0rpg. “My time in Antwerp was a blur. I had to learn a new team, new system, and a different level of game. Being thrown right into playoff basketball wasn´t easy. With all of that I still had school work between practices so I could graduate. The guys were really just helping me adjust to Europe and the game”, added Mike Morrison.

                He began his first full professional season in 2012-2013 with Cytavision Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus-Division A) playing 28 games averaging 11.8ppg, 5.0rpg, FGP: 62.6%, FT: 48.1%. He scored in double figures in 20 games and had one double double. Some of his best games was a 28 point explosion in 28 minutes in a 80-59 victory over Enad and a 21 point effort in a 85-69 win over Apollon. He finished his rookie season losing 3-1 against AEK.  He was already very mature as a rookie and he could have been anywhere in the world and he would have been able to adjust. “Basketball is basketball. That´s the easy part. But you really have to learn to take care of yourself, your body, your home. Your on your own for real”, stressed Mike Morrsion. In his second professional season he made another jump in his career and moved to Joensuun Kataja Basket (Finland-Korisliiga) playing 55 games averaging 14.0ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.5apg, Blocks-1(1.6bpg), FGP: 60.2%, FT: 57.7%; and played 6 EuroChallenge games averaging 13.3ppg, 8.2rpg, 1.5apg, 2.0bpg, FGP: 49.3%, FT: 53.8%. The Korisliiga is one of those leagues that can be a stepping stone for players to get to the easyCredit BBL and it would be for the big man. He totally dominated in Finland scoring in double figures in 49 of 55 games and registered 15 double doubles. That season he helped the club reach the finals beating Tapiolan Honka, and Nilan Bisons, but lost to Pyrinto. There he had a special teammate in Jared Newson who had been the last cut of the Dallas Mavericks in 2007 and had won the BBL slam dunk contest when he played with Leverkusen. The American remembered Newson who recently retired form the game. “The guy is still athletic, amazing. We were having game dunk contests in Finland. I miss that”, stressed Mike Morrison.

                Morrison then began a new chapter with the Fraport Skyliners in 2014 where he would battle for four seasons. In his time with the Frankfurt organization he played 137 BBL games, 12 Eurochallenge games, 19 Fiba Europe Cu games and 16 Basketball Champions League games. He was able to put up very solid stats and improved his scoring in his last three seasons, but had his best shooting year in his first as he shot 69% from the field. Not only do German players profit from the coaching staff, but so do Americans. “Player development is what coach Gordie and Klaus do so well. That´s why young Germans love to come play under them. They both helped me greatly. Not only with my skills, but also knowledge of the game. I see things developing before it does just because I´ve listened to them for so long. If coaching is in the future I will be using a lot of their philosophies”, stressed Mike Morrison. His biggest games included a massive 35 point game in the Basketball Champions League 90-80 win against Turkish team Pinar Karsiyaka and a 25 point effort in the bitter 99-98 loss against Bayreuth. His favorite own play was his dunk over Oldenburg center Robin Smeulders, but his favorite most cherished moment was winning the 2016 Fiba Europe Cup in Chalon, France and just experiencing the last moments. “Just finally watching the seconds run off the clock. Knowing we finally did it after falling short the year before”, added Mike Morrison. Obviously Quantez Robertson has had a huge effect on Morrison if not the biggest, but he is quick to add that he couldn´t name just one. “John Little showed me my intensity could always be higher. Aaron Doornekemp showed me how to be a real professional on and off the court. Jordan Theodore showed me to keep your confidence in self no matter what. Phil Scrubb showed me how not reacting to uncontrollable things can help your focus. Sean Armand reminded me that sometimes you just have to go kill the guy lined up in front of you and Shavon Shields reminded me a few years later”, added Mike Morrison. This season he has witnessed the amazing surge of former teammate teenager Isaac Bonga who has been in and out of the Los Angeles Lakers roster and could ask him hundreds of questions about Lebron and Rajon Rondo, but surprisingly it doesn´t even get to that. “It may sound weird but I haven’t asked him about that stuff at all. We’re still friends and talk about anime, TV shows and Marvel movies all the time. Me, Isaac, and Phil Scrubb have a group chat that gets pretty nerdy”, smiled Mike Morrison. Even if he is from Florida and has a new basketball home in Wurzburg, a piece of his heart will always be in Frankfurt and he explained what made it so easy to play and stay there. “Just all around good people. That´s important to me. I spoke with everyone from players, coaches, to the people in the office, and the workers at the arena. Everyone was cool”, warned Mike Morrison. Morrison recently played against Frankfurt sweeping them and reflected on his ex team in 2019. “It was just great seeing the fans that have shown so much love over the years. They were awesome and I will never forget that. Of course I want my friends on the team to be successful but my focus is 100 percent on S. Oliver Wurzburg when it comes to basketball”, added Mike Morrison.

                Last summer there were many wondering if Mike Morrison would return back to the Fraport Skyliners, but he didn´t and resumed his career with Panevezys Lietkabelis (Lithuania-LKL). For some basketball experts no surprise as some felt that a change of scenery would be a good thing, while many of his Frankfurt fans would have liked to have seen him remain in Frankfurt. At the end of the day it´s all about choosing the best situation for your family and the Fraport Skyliners didn´t seem to fit into the equation anymore. “I loved Frankfurt, the players, and the coaches and still do. It´s just about choosing what´s the right opportunity for you. I love basketball and wouldn´t mind playing anywhere that´s a good opportunity and a great experience”, expressed Mike Morrison. One of the great advantages of playing for an organization like the Fraport Skyliners is their amazing facilities which has a state of the art training facility, spa club, mall and apartments in walking distance. This is something not seen in many places and obviously not in Lithuania. “Of course moving to a new place is always an adjustment but it was a pretty smooth transition. I´m not in a mall, but the city is much smaller so getting places is pretty easy. They do a pretty good job of taking care of us and whatever we need”, stressed Mike Morrison. There were only two Americans on the squad with him and veteran Jamar Wilson, but the Florida native didn´t feel lonely at all as with his outgoing nature, he was able to bond with everyone even the influx of Lithuanians on the team. “I can relate with Jamar a lot more on some things but as far as getting along with guys we all have good relationships. These guys are cool and I can´t help but be social. I even got Phil (Scrubb) to talk to me a lot”, smiled Mike Morrison.  He held his own with Panevezys Lietkabelis (Lithuania-LKL) averaging 10,7ppg, 5,5rpg and 1,5apg in the country league and also played BCL averaging 7,0ppg ,4,6rpg and 2,1apg. So he might not make the Harlem Globetrotters, but he definitely would have gotten a smile on his ex teammate Johannes Voigtman´s baby face when he showcased a slick behind the back pass early in the season. “Jumbo Jo has all the moves for sure but I didn´t steal that one from him lol. I´ve always been a pretty good passer but It´s not flash, it was actually just the best pass to make that play to hold the defender. A regular bounce pass would have been easier to react to”, added Mike Morrison. Despite his good stats, he was out of a job around Thanksgiving 2018. “The team decided to hire a new sports director who decided to make coaching changes and a lot of player changes. I wasn’t a part of his vision I guess but I still wish my guys over there good luck”, said Mike Morrison.

                It took him only 13 days to be in uniform with his new team s.Oliver Wurzburg and suddenly he was in Germany again and would be battling against his former team Fraport Skyliners within only a few weeks. It was obvious that Germany and the easyCredit BBl had a special place in his heart so coming back wasn´t a difficult decision for him. “ It was a no brainer. I’m familiar with the league and liked the idea of coming in and helping change the team identity. A lot of great players are here and things gelled pretty easily”, warned Mike Morrison. In a way this new situation is very similar to what he had three seasons ago in Frankfurt. “The BBL season is very different but the FIBA season is very similar. When I got here we were 15th I believe now we’re fighting for a playoff spot. 2016 in Frankfurt we were already locked in the playoffs and had more focus on FIBA”, warned Mike Morrison. The club has won 6 of it´s last 7 BBL games and has real good chances of bringing home a chip to Wurzburg as they are 8-1 in the Fiba Europe Cup and now battle against Italian squad Openjobmetis in the semi´s which could be a good omen as Morrison beat them with Frankfurt in the Fiba final in 2016. “We believe In each other and every game is a playoff game from here on out. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that we are capable to lift the Fiba trophy if we play the way we can”, warned Mike Morrison. Even if he did come to a new team, there was one very familiar face on the team with Johannes Richter who had been his teammate in Frankfurt. When asked about the German big man, the other big man shows his comical side in his description of the younger player. “You can’t describe Peanut (Jo), he really is one of a kind. Funny, annoying, sometimes stupid (but he’s going to be a Doctor), but really a great guy. We all make fun of him all the time and he keeps the team in good spirits. His game has developed for sure. He’s very physical and has an amazing motor”, stressed Mike Morrison.

                s.Oliver Wurzburg is known for having very skilled guards in Jordan Hulls, Skyler Bowlin, Cameron Wells and Brad Loesing that keep up the pressure for 40 minutes and just drive opposing guards insane as Fraport Skyliner guard Tyler Larson witnessed 48 hours ago as he coughed up the ball 8 times and especially made costly turnovers when the game was on the line. But the club also have other important players on the team like Xavier Cooks and new comer Devin Oliver. “‘X’ is a walking bucket. He’s really gifted offensively and bothers a lot of plays defensively. What Impresses me most about X is his knowledge of the game. He understands better than most and he’s a rookie. Reminds me of myself in that light. But the boy can play. He will be a millionaire really soon. Devin was a very good pick up. He’s a jack of all trades and brings great energy. He’s strong and posts up smaller guys but on the outside lives trying to cross up guys that can’t stay in front. Great aggression. He’s always in attack mode”, warned Mike Morrison. Morrison gives added strength up front and currently is averaging 6,8ppg, 4,0rpg and 1,4 apg and is shooting a respectable 62,5% from the field in 16,8 minutes per game while in the Fiba Europe Cup he is averaging 8,7ppg, 4,1rpg and 1,4apg and shooting a strong 62,5% from the field in 16,2 minutes per game. He is playing in a system under Denis Wucherer that is different from ex head coach Gordon Herbert, but he has fit in all right. “My role is to set good screens and roll to the rim to open it up for my shooters and they’re shooting opens up the lane for me. It’s a tandom. Also bringing energy and physicality”, warned Mike Morrison.  Just like he profited in Frankfurt under Gordon Herbert, he has done the same under new head coach Denis Wucherer in Wurzburg. “Coach Denis really understands offense, spacing, and manipulating the defense. His offense is structured but really free flowing. Coach trusts me to make decisions on passes and what options I see out of certain sets. I don’t know if I would say there’s more or less freedom. I think it´s just a different system”, stressed Mike Morrison. Not only has the big man profited from Wucherer, but has seen the advantages of having British national player Gabriel Olaseni as a teammate. The Brit is highly talented and one of those unfinished products. Both have the utmost respect for each other. “It has been great having Mike on the team. I remember when he came in that management said that they wanted a change and I totally welcomed it. He is one of the vocal leaders on the team and so passionate. He always pushes you in practice. I have profited from him in many ways. He has helped me with running the floor, drawing fouls and understanding mismatches and playing angles”, warned ex Bamberg center Gabriel Olaseni. “Me and Gabe are really cool. We are both Super hero nerds so most of our conversations lead back to new Marvel and DC movies that are about to come out. I think we both are just good players. There’s no drop off when one or the other goes in and we push each other to get better”, stressed Mike Morrison. It looks like Mike Morrison may have found a replacement for Quantez Robertson in Wurzburg with Gabriel Olaseni as his new comical side kick as with all that Super Hero content there is surely enough material for funny moments and practical jokes. Now the question is would there be room in the Mike Mo and Tez Comedy show for a third with Gabriel Olaseni?