Former NBA guard Darius Morris died from heart disease at the age of 33, with drugs and alcohol use a significant factor, a coroner has ruled.
Morris – who played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers among others – died last month, leaving the world of NBA in mourning.
Now, six weeks on, more information has been released about his passing, with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruling the official cause of death as coronary artery disease.
According to the report, which was obtained by TMZ, drugs and alcohol was a ‘significant factor’, specifically the effects of cocaine, ethanol and hydrocodone.
His death – on May 2 at his home in the Los Angeles area – has also officially been ruled as accidental.
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No drugs were found at the scene and his body was decomposing when he was discovered, it was revealed.
Morris was last known to be alive on April 22 – 10 days prior to his death – when he told his mother he was feeling ill and experiencing flu-like symptoms.
His death was revealed in a statement from his family, which read: ‘With great sadness we announce the passing of our dearly beloved son, Darius Aaron Morris.
‘During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.’
After thriving at the high school level in Los Angeles, Morris attended the University of Michigan and impressed. He broke the school’s record for assists in a single season with 235.
Morris was drafted by the Lakers in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft and he played alongside Kobe Bryant for two seasons in LA.
After playing for the 76ers, Clippers, Grizzlies and Nets, Morris went on to play in China, Russia and France later in his career.
In the NBA he averaged 3.3 points, 1 rebound and 1.4 assists in 132 appearances.