Twin NBA players Marcus and Markieff Morris are as close as they come. Not only are they identical, but also share the same bank account and have matching tattoos, beards and even cars. The Morris twins both play for the Phoenix Suns but this was not always their triumphant story.

The twins were inseparable while growing up in Philadelphia after which the two went on to attend the University of Kansas. Marcus and Markieff both played college basketball in Kansas and were first-round picks for the 2011 draft. During the NBA draft Marcus was selected to play for the Houston Rockets while Markieff was chosen to play for the Phoenix Suns. This caused the twins to be apart for the first time and neither was happy or content with it. To try to bridge the gap of separation, the players purchased a French bulldog and gave the canine a nickname for their mother.

Markieff, who is seven minutes older than Marcus, seemed to lack concentration and hustle with the Suns in the absence of his twin. After Marcus was demoted from the Houston Rockets to the NBA’s Development League it seemed that Markieff became despondent. According to their mother, Angel Morris, Marcus became depressed when he was demoted and Markieff felt the depression his twin brother was experiencing; as a result he had a hard time performing.

Former Suns’ coach, Alvin Gentry, said Markieff consistently requested that Phoenix trade someone for his brother. The Kansas coach, Bill Self, told Gentry if he could get Marcus he should because he would make his brother work harder. On February 21, Marcus was reunited with his brother after the Suns sent a second-round draft pick to Houston and both have performed much better.

The Morris brothers share everything but this is not always the case with twins. They are often known to want to clarify their singleness after a certain age. Psychologists agree that twins who were dressed alike or who were encouraged to do similar things feel the need to over accentuate their differences in order to maintain a sense of individuality. They generally want others to know that each of them has their own interests and identity.

It has been proven that a physical and emotional bond exists between twins given the intimate space they share during fetal development. This bond remains throughout their lives even after they have emerged with their own identity. It can never be forgotten that these two individuals make up a pair who often have more similarities than differences.

The Morris twins feel very differently about being separated. They have not been split on the basketball court much since their love for the game began. The first season and a half of their professional basketball careers were spent apart and they did not function to their level of potential. They have now been reunited and have no intention of playing apart again.

In 2014 the twins signed a deal to play together for the Phoenix Suns for another four years. They both have one more year to finish their current contracts before the extension begins. Forwards Markieff and Marcus Morris are excited to play ball together as they did in times past. They are twin brothers who are very close. They not only share the same DNA but also have a joint bank account, matching beards, cars and even tattoos.

by Cherese Jackson (Virginia)

Sources:

NY Times

Longwood

CBS Sports

Photo Courtesy of USA Today via Upper Deck Chatter

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