Dejounte Murray isn’t sure of the type of reception he will receive as he is set to meet the San Antonio fans for the first time since being traded last offseason.
Murray, a former Spur, will land with the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in Texas to face his former team that helped him flourish in the last six years.
“I don’t know how other people feel,” Murray said, per Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News. “I control what I control, and that’s how Dejounte feels and what Dejounte says. You got a lot of people that are mad, a lot of people that are happy. The real people that are real humans understand that it’s appropriate for us to say how we feel and we shouldn’t get judged because we have more money than you or more fame than you.
“I feel like those are the ones that are going to show me the love that I deserve. Because, at the end of the day, I love this city, I love the San Antonio Spurs organization, the Austin Spurs, I love everything about it. However, it goes (Sunday) is however it goes. But I am excited to see the people I love and care about.”
Since leaving the Spurs, Murray became vocal of his personal criticisms towards the franchise, which includes his embattled experience with franchise legend Tony Parker whom he accused of not helping him to learn under his wings as still-developing point man.
“My truth is my experience and it’s different than any other single person and player in this game,” Murray said. “At the end of the day, I took more positives than negatives from the situation, and it helped me value relationships…and those relationships will last forever.”
San Antonio took its chance on Murray last 2016 NBA Draft, picking the young, lanky guard for the 26th pick of the rookie selection.
From being a project player, Murray gradually evolved as one of the best two-way guards in the league and eventually captured his first All-Star nod in last season, averaging a career high 21.1 points to go with 9.2 assists and 8.3 rebounds.
For that, he can’t be more grateful for the opportunities he had and the memories he’s been cherishing as always even though he is now a current member of the Hawks.
“I love them because they gave me an opportunity at that time when nobody else did,” Murray added.
Discussion about this post