Murray tallies most points in an NBA Allstar game since Tim Duncan’s 19 in 2003
CLEVELAND — Dejounte Murray marveled at the way DeMar DeRozan carried himself during his three seasons with the Spurs. “He’s low maintenance, and I say that with a lot of respect,” Murray said. “For his caliber, the time he’s put in this league, the success he’s had in this league, the way he acts, you would think he’s a young guy trying to earn everything in this league.”
In many ways, Murray is cut from the same cloth as his fellow All-Star when it comes to refusing to rest on his laurels.
“I don’t ever want to be big-headed,” said the Spurs point guard, who made his first All-Star appearance Sunday. “I want to always have good people around me who are willing to push me and who aren’t afraid to tell me what I need to know.”
Murray’s Team Durant fell 163-160 to Team LeBron on Sunday, but the Spurs point guard acquitted himself well in his first All-Star Game, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and one block in 27 minutes.
Murray’s point total was the highest by a Spur in an All-Star Game since Tim Duncan tallied 19 in 2003. It’s safe to say that Murray did his damage with much more pizzazz than the Big Fundamental.
With just over eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, LaMelo hit Spurs guard Dejounte Murray with a between-the-legs alley-oop pass, which Murray slammed home.
Murray reflected on his life before basketball, noting that many teams passed him up due to his history in juvenile detention.
“I got active in the streets at 11 years old,” Murray told Yahoo Sports in 2020. “When I mean active in the streets, not just on the corner; they knew my name when I got on the block.”
However, after one season at the University of Washington, Murray became a top draft option for NBA teams: on paper. Due to his history, he dropped to the San Antonio Spurs with the 29th pick in the 2016 draft.
“I didn’t expect to land at 29, but at the end of the day, that’s what God had written for me and I wouldn’t change it for nothing,” Murray told KENS 5. “And I’m not saying this because of the success that I’ve had in my career, through the good and bad, but the Spurs organization was just perfect for me.”
“It was written by God and God put [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and I] in each other’s life for a reason,” he added.
Despite early success as a backup option behind All-Star point guard Tony Parker, in 2018, he tore his ACL. While not career-ending as it once was, Murray’s injury left him sidelined for the rest of the 2018-2019 season.
After a year of rehab, Murray played some of his best seasons in the NBA.
“I’m just thankful that my peers, the coaches and even the media, you guys realize [my ability], see my growth each and every year,” Murray told KENS 5. “That’s huge to me, more than being an All-Star. Obviously, I know this is a huge thing, but ain’t nothing like being respected, working hard and being willing to learn.”
