Celtics Legend Confesses His Gambling Addiction While Reacting to Marcus Morris’ Arrest

Marcus Morris has made headlines but not for his hot takes. Morris, who recently transitioned from NBA player to sports media analyst, has found himself in legal trouble for allegedly committing fraud at two different casinos. Former Boston Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins understands Morris’ position far too well. After admitting that he used to have a gambling addiction, he offered an explanation of Morris’ circumstances.

On Tuesday, July 29, authorities arrested Morris following accusations of bouncing two checks at Las Vegas casinos for a combined total of $265,000. That may be a large sum to the average person, but Morris should be able to afford it.

Throughout his 13-year NBA career, Morris earned over $106 million. In the grand scheme, a mere $265,000 shouldn’t have been an issue.

Perkins hasn’t faced criminal charges for his gambling habits, but he has experienced the wrath of the casino. As a result, he vowed not to let the practice consume his life.

“I actually had an addiction in gambling,” Perkins revealed on the Road Trippin’ podcast. “I went up to the casino and signed myself that I would never gamble again.”

Cohost Allie Clifton said that, according to reports, Morris secured funds in May and June of 2024 at two separate casinos with “checks he knew wouldn’t cash.”

“When you take a marker out from the casino … you have 30 days to pay the marker back,” Perkins explained. A marker is essentially an interest-free line of credit that the casino gives a customer to use to gamble. Since a marker doesn’t add interest, not paying back the loan has grave consequences.

“Over the last 10 years, they could charge you criminally,” Perkins said. Although casinos are serious when it comes to receiving their money, they typically are lenient with customers who cooperate. But Morris’ debt has been outstanding for more than a year.

During Morris’ court proceedings, his attorney revealed to the judge that the former Knicks star sent a wire payment for the overdue money. Despite Morris’ willingness to oblige, the judge didn’t grant the 6-foot-8 forward bail. Perkins knows exactly why.

“Send the money, cool. But we’re trying to make an example [of him] because, for however amount of time, we tried to contact Mr. Morris. We did not want for this to get this far,” Perkins said.

Unfortunately for Morris, it indeed went that far. His situation sends a clear message to fellow athletes and the general population that casinos mean business. An outing for a few simple games of blackjack could lead to a bust even greater than a declaration from the dealer.