After Blaming Gregg Popovich’s System, Dejounte Murray Credits Himself For Victor Wembanyama Potentially Being Drafted by the Spurs

Akash Murty | 17/05/2023
After Blaming Gregg Popovich's System, Dejounte Murray Credits Himself For Victor Wembanyama Potentially Being Drafted by the Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs tanked heavily throughout the 2022-23 season to get the #1 pick. As proof of their efforts, they finished at the bottom of the West to get themselves the best chance to land Victor Wembanyama. After getting the No. 1 pick on Tuesday, they now finally have the right to select the 7ft 4′ Frenchman. However, in a shocking turn of events, Dejounte Murray wants his credit for getting that No.1 pick too.

The Spurs traded their 2-way All-Star guard to the Hawks in exchange for Danilo Gallinari, three first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap. Murray got the chance to contend while playing alongside Trae Young in the backcourt. But they didn’t click, and the Hawks got eliminated in the 1st round after a tumultuous regular season.

Since then, there have been rumors of the Atlanta team looking to break the duo up, and it might be Murray who will take his talents somewhere in consecutive seasons. Murray meanwhile, still looks sour about his trade from San Antonio last year.

After the Spurs got the no.1 pick and some fans started pulling his leg, Dejounte took offense to it and responded by claiming if it wasn’t for him, they would not have Wembanyama.

Dejounte Murray earlier blamed Popovic’s system for his late development

There’s no doubt that the Spurs would have missed out on the 19-year-old French sensation if Murray stayed. Much like last season, he would have made a single-handed push for the Playoffs and the Spurs would not have ended up at the bottom with a 14% chance of landing Wembanyama.

However, he must have wanted to leave the organization with all he had been feeling about Gregg Popovic and his system for years.

In his appearance on All The Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Murray opened up about how the Spurs played mind games about his game time in his early years at the ball club. He wanted to be traded out because none of Pop, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, or Manu Ginobili would give him much attention. And also felt that the franchise played boring basketball. Watch the whole story in the following embed.

It is perplexing that when he always wanted the trade, why is he still angry about it? Anyway, the Spurs got what they wanted with that trade and now look as good as when they drafted David Robinson and then Tim Duncan.

The pressure on Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama is only the 3rd 1st pick for the San Antonio Spurs since ‘The Admiral’ in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997. The latter two led the Spurs to its first-ever championship in 1999 and a second in 2003.

‘The Big Fundamental’ led them to 3 more in his time with Parker and Ginobili, playing 19 years in the NBA. As greatly skilled and tall as Wembanyama is, the pressure will be on him to bring back the glory days in San Antonio as soon as possible.

And there is this added pressure of being the biggest draft prospect since LeBron James in 2003. Expectations could not get any higher than this.

Post Edited By: Tonoy Sengupta
Dejounte Murray San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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