NBA

Here’s a wildly entertaining conspiracy theory about Game 2 of the Celtics-Wizards series

Was that actually Markieff Morris? Or was it his twin?

Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris, left, greets his brother, Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris, after a game last month in Auburn Hills, MIchigan Carlos Osorio / AP

By Nik DeCosta-Klipa

3 minutes to read

From frozen envelopes to Michael Jordan to the 2001 Eastern Conference finals, NBA history is rife with unconfirmed conspiracy theories. But perhaps none in recent memory is as amusing as this Parent Trap-esque theory about Game 2 of second-round playoff series between the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards.

In an article Wednesday, The Ringer’s Richard Sherman examined the possibility that Wizards forward Markieff Morris — who was sustained a seemingly badly sprained ankle in Game 1, before returning two days later to deliver a very solid performance in Game 2 — was not who he seemed.

Was it instead his identical twin, Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris, disguised in Markieff’s No. 5 Wizards jersey?

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The totally crazy scenario is far more feasible than it may initially appear. The premise of Sherman’s theory — which had also been floated by others and is worth the full seven-minute read — basically goes like this:

  • Even for identical twins go, Marcus and Markieff are nearly indistinguishable. They even have near-matching upper body tattoos.

  • Markieff’s recovery from his Game 1 injury was suspiciously quick, as was his 16-point, 6-rebound Game 2 performance.
  • The two brothers have admitted to switching places during a similar situation while playing AAU ball.
  • They have similar playing styles.
  • While Marcus attended earlier Wizards playoff games, he was visible — either in the crowd or on social media — during Tuesday’s game.

A Wizards spokesman declined to comment on the theorized scenario Thursday afternoon.

The theory, of course, also has holes.

For starters, Marcus himself denied it in a series of tweets Wednesday.

Of course, to successfully pull off the switch, that’s what he would say, even if if it were true.

However, photo evidence from Tuesday’s game also appears to debunk the theory.

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USA Today’s Andrew Joseph — who attended college with the Morris twins and then covered them for the Arizona Republic during their time together on the Phoenix Suns — explained Tuesday that there are ways to tell the two brothers apart.

“Markieff is about an inch and a half taller than Marcus,” Joseph wrote. “Markieff also has a slightly longer face.”

Additionally, their tattoos, while very similar, aren’t completely identical. Per Joseph:

…the red “F.O.E.” at the base of their neck is different. Marcus’ is more compact while the “E” in Markieff’s “F.O.E.” drops off noticeably more than that of Marcus. Also, a cursive twirl on Markieff’s chest goes under the “E” while it’s next to the “E” on Marcus’ tattoo.

The small distinction is perhaps most noticeable in this 2015 tweet, with Marcus on the left and Markieff on the right.

https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/552672509686845440

The photos from Tuesday’s game don’t provide any great looks at Markieff’s upper chest tattoos, since most of the time either the angle or his jersey obstructs the view of that crucial red F.O.E. ink. However, this first-quarter shot — cropped and brightened to focus in on the tattoo — appears to confirm it was actually Markieff on the court Tuesday.

If you look closely, the cursive twirl that Joseph pointed out is located underneath the read “E,” rather than to its side. That means it’s Markieff. Apparently, he just recovered from his ankle injured Sunday quicker than expected — or it wasn’t that bad in the first place.

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And so the alluring conspiracy theory, as most do, comes to a perhaps disappointing end. If anything, maybe the Celtics can figure out a way to switch Tyler Zeller with his talented little brother Cody.