Star Takes Jump Shots and Insulin Shots

ByABC News
March 18, 2006, 6:53 PM

SPOKANE, Wash., March 18, 2006 — -- Adam Morrison likes beating the odds.

His team, Spokane's tiny Gonzaga Bulldogs, has blossomed into college basketball's favorite Cinderella story. And Morrison, once the team water boy, now is a shooting phenom, averaging 28.6 points a game -- the best in college basketball.

But it's the shots he takes off the court that have earned him legions of loyal fans and the die-hard support of every player on his team.

"They have the utmost respect for him," said Mark Few, Gonzaga's coach."And the reason they have the utmost respect for him is they see what he has to go through every day, every hour."

Morrison has type 1 diabetes -- a life-threatening illness if not treated daily.

His success in basketball has thrust him into the spotlight and made him a role model for others with diabetes.

"He's really taken a stand above and beyond that which would be required of anyone," said Dr. Kevin Kaiserman of the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles, "and everyone in the diabetes community is thankful for his efforts."

"It's cool that I have that kind of effect on a person," Morrison said. "And it's cool to be a role model and try to help people out in a positive way."

Every trip to the beach includes what he calls a "pit stop" -- a check of his blood sugar level, and sometimes a shot of insulin. Competitive in all things, Morrison got the routine down to 30 seconds during high school with the help of his mother.