Story by
Anthony Morrow shares that Corey Maggette gave him a luxury car to keep him from walking around Oakland
- Story by
- Anthony Morrow shares that Corey Maggette gave him a luxury car to keep him from walking around Oakland
While many criticized veterans like Udonis Haslem , Taj Gibson , James Johnson and Vince Carter for staying too long in the NBA, there's a great reason teams kept them year after year.
While their basketball skills were no longer what they had been when they were much younger, coaches believed they still had a lot to offer, especially to young players who were just getting their feet wet in the league.
Advertisement
Former NBA guard Anthony Morrow experienced this firsthand during his rookie year when he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2008. Although he went undrafted, he joined the Warriors' Summer League team and impressed enough to earn a roster spot.
He didn't take long to make his mark, either, as he popped off for 37 points on 15-for-20 shooting and 11 rebounds in his first start for the team. But despite his impressive performances, it didn't change the fact that he was making far less than the average rookie. For the 2008-09 season, the 6'5" wingman earned just $442,114 for the season.
This meant living within his means. He didn't wear anything other than team-issued apparel and he did not have an expensive car. As a matter of fact, Morrow shared that he usually just strolled around town. When word got to Warriors forward Corey Maggette about what the rookie was doing, he immediately called his attention.
Advertisement
Pro athletes shouldn't be just walking around
While Oakland is typically considered safe, it still wasn't wise for an NBA player, even a rookie, to invite attention by walking around town. However, being a rook meant Morrow didn't know any better.
"I was tripping. But I didn't care. You know how Oakland was back then, the kind of place where they told you to leave your car unlocked because they were going to break into it anyway. And here I am walking around in my warm-up outfit," Anthony relayed on "Club 520."
Advertisement
"I was young, bro. Fresh out of Charlotte. I wasn't thinking about it. I was just like, 'I'm going to get something to eat,' or, 'I'm going to the store to buy some shoes,'" he recalled.
As mentioned, Maggette caught wind of what Morrow was doing and talked to him about it.
"We were working out one day in Golden State. He finished his workout, and somebody had told him, 'Yo, man, there's a dude walking around Oakland wearing Golden State gear. We know who the hell he is now,'" Morrow shared. "So Corey asked me after one workout, 'Hey, man, you just been walking around?' There was no Uber back then."
Advertisement
"I said, 'Yeah, yeah. I'm staying out here in downtown Oakland.' He said, 'Man, come to the crib.'"
Corey lent him his Mercedes-Benz
Morrow soon took a ride in Maggette's Lamborghini and headed straight to the latter's crib. After saying hi and hello to the former Duke star's family, Morrow was surprised to be handed a set of keys.
Advertisement
"I asked, 'What's this?' I walked outside. White Benz 550 S. I said, 'Hey, man, I don't know if I need to take this, bro.' He said, 'No, I'm good.' At the time, he had five or six cars, all parked outside," Morrow conveyed. "So I said, 'All right, cool, man. I'll call you when I get back downtown.'"
Aging veterans may no longer be able to produce lofty numbers as they did back in the day. But what they no longer provide in statistics, they more than make up for with their presence, leadership and guidance, things that young players need to not only survive in the NBA but hopefully excel.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
