The San Antonio Spurs selected Dejounte Murray as the 29th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, during his rookie season, he faced an unimaginable ordeal when his mother was shot in the leg. Recently, in an emotional revelation, Murray shared that head coach Gregg Popovich extended a heartfelt gesture to uplift him during that incredibly challenging moment.
Murray recently appeared on The Pivot Podcast, sharing some fascinating insights about his career journey. He opened up about a touching moment, revealing that Gregg Popovich once generously offered to use his funds to help relocate Dejounte’s mother to San Antonio, after he learned about her tragic shooting in the leg back in 2017.
“It was so crazy—a lot of my people don’t even know this. From family, friends, and the penitentiary… He’s so real. He tried to move my mom to San Antonio with his own money after she got shot. My mom was shot in the leg my rookie year. He called her himself—without me knowing until after the fact. ‘We want to move you here. No—not with his money, with my money.’ That sounds like a dude that cares about me and loves me, right?” Murray said.
Murray lit up the court with the Spurs for an impressive five seasons. Then, in a stunning move on June 30, 2022, he was traded alongside Jock Landale to the Atlanta Hawks.
Murray Discusses The Hurdles Faced In His First Season with the Pelicans
Murray joined the New Orleans Pelicans on July 6, 2024. Unfortunately, his first season with the team was far from ideal, as the Pelicans struggled significantly throughout the year. They ended the regular season in a disappointing 14th place in the Western Conference, boasting a record of just 21 wins against 61 losses. Recently, during an episode of the Pivot Podcast, he opened up about the challenges and issues that plagued his first season with the Pelicans.
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“It was a situation where, like, I got all these problems going on… I broke my hand, and I’m recovering. My mom had a stroke, one of my cousins got killed, then my uncle overdosed.” Murray said.
Murray argues that several key factors contributed to the Pelicans’ disappointing performance during the 2024-25 NBA season. However, they are now looking to revamp the roster for the upcoming season.
Also Read: 2025 NBA Draft: Who Could The New Orleans Pelicans Target With Their No. 7 Overall Pick?
