Dejounte Murray ultimately lived up to his potential with the San Antonio Spurs. Just because he became an All-Star before leaving that storied franchise, though, hardly means the Atlanta Hawks guard believes he received the development he needed in San Antonio—from one especially notable teammate in particular.
During his appearance on All The Smoke with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Murray revealed that Tony Parker didn't take kindly to Gregg Popovich moving him to the bench in 2017-18, chastising the four-time champion for refusing to mentor him as the Spurs' new starting point guard.
“Obviously, I started growing. First year go by, thrown in the fire in the playoffs versus the Rockets. Second year, they see I come back, obviously getting stronger, getting better, and that was the year I took the job from Tony,” Murray recalled. “Pop brought us in the office, he told Tony. Tony ain't like it. I know he ain't like it, you get what I'm saying? Like for me, I love real. Keep it a buck with me, keep it a hundred, bro. I'ma love you for that, you know what I mean? And I know he didn't like it, cause if he liked it he would've mentored me the way he should have. He wouldn't have went to Charlotte. He would've stayed right there.”
Murray took over for a 35-year-old Parker midway through 2017-18, the future Hall-of-Famer's final season in San Antonio. Parker signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets the following summer, ultimately calling his career quits after the 2018-19 season.
The Spurs' decision to bench Parker in favor of Murray was hardly controversial. The former ruptured his quadriceps in the 2017 playoffs and struggled to reach his already diminished pre-injury form upon returning. Murray, meanwhile, was a 21-year-old defensive wunderkind whose rapid improvement as a late first-round pick helped San Antonio envision a new path forward beyond its fading dynasty.
Jackson, remember, was a teammate of Parker's with the Spurs in 2001-02 and 2002-03, the Frenchman's first two years in the league. Let's just say he wasn't surprised to hear that Parker didn't handle his demotion with the grace befitting a revered veteran.
“It's not funny he say that, bro, because I know the type of person Tony is. Great player, gonna go down in the Hall of Fame, but he's very selfish,” Jackson said. “He's been selfish. We'd have had more championships and more success if it wasn't for him being so selfish.
“I know the real Tony,” he continued. “He can fool everybody else, but he is one of the most selfish players I've ever played with. That ain't got nothing to do with the [Dejounte] is saying, this is what I'm saying. He is one of the most selfish players I've ever played with because it's all about him.”
Dejounte Murray was named an All-Star injury replacement with a rebuilding San Antonio squad in 2021-22, paving the way for his blockbuster trade to the Hawks. Atlanta has fallen short of high internal expectations this season, eighth in the Eastern Conference at 23-22 with underlying friction in the locker room and front office contributing to the team's relative struggles.
Follow Us
Subscribe