Dejounte Murray on The Pivot podcast

The YouTube link, for your convenience AOC4PREZ2028

Youtube LINK

Just dropped bubba, I’m in the middle of listening

Gemini breakdown:

Here's a detailed summary of the YouTube video:

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In this interview, professional basketball player Dejounte Murray discusses his challenging upbringing in Seattle and his journey to NBA stardom [01:10]. He reflects on his past, acknowledging that many of his childhood friends are either dead or in prison, and that basketball was his only way out [03:13]. Murray opens up about the trauma he experienced, including growing up without both parents, his mother's incarceration, and a life-threatening incident involving drawn guns at age eight [06:05, 07:57].

He emphasizes the importance of healing from his past and the difficulty of doing interviews due to the depth of his experiences [02:53]. Murray shares how he had to move away from his neighborhood and be homeschooled to focus on basketball, as school didn't offer the immediate opportunities he sought [25:50]. He also talks about the constant struggle of balancing his past with his current success, including dealing with "survivor's guilt" and proving himself to those who doubted him, including his own father [21:24, 33:56].

Murray expresses immense gratitude for his mentor and former coach, Greg Popovich, who he considers a father figure for his guidance and support beyond basketball [36:14]. He recounts a difficult period in New Orleans, where he faced multiple personal tragedies and professional setbacks, including his mother's stroke, a broken hand, a cousin's death, and an uncle's overdose, all while feeling unsupported by the organization [53:03, 56:28].

Despite his fame and success, Murray states that money doesn't bring him happiness [01:02:01]. He finds joy in his children and his dedication to basketball, which he calls his "club" [46:17, 46:24]. He also highlights the challenge of letting people in, due to past betrayals and the difficulty of finding genuine connections [01:04:18]. He concludes by expressing his happiness for his current life and his commitment to being a positive influence on others [01:03:00, 01:06:15].

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Followed up with:

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Can you give much more detail about all of his comments about the Pelicans or New Orleans Pelicans

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Here's a detailed summary of Dejounte Murray's comments about the Pelicans or New Orleans Pelicans:

Dejounte Murray expressed that his time with the New Orleans Pelicans was his worst experience in the NBA [51:13]. He clarified that he harbors no ill will towards the city or the organization, but rather, it was his personal experience [51:22].

He recounted several challenges during this period:

Mother's Stroke: Seven days before the first game, his mother suffered a stroke, leading him to leave the team to be with her in Seattle [53:07].
Hand Injury: He broke his hand in the first game upon his return [54:53].
Organizational Issues: Murray found it difficult to get necessary training table time, lifts, and court time, which severely impacted his mental state [56:48].
Family Tragedies: During this period, he also dealt with the death of a cousin and an uncle's overdose [56:34].
He described feeling stressed, mad, sad, and angry daily, leading him to question whether he even wanted to play basketball [56:58]. The situation culminated in him tearing his Achilles during a game, which he felt was God's way of telling him to be with his mother [58:13]. He also noted that he was shocked by the trade to New Orleans, as it wasn't a team he had been discussing with his agent [52:22].

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Ryan Clark

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Talks about how unprofessional the organization was under Griffin

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I mean, the current regime has decided to stick with Zion, so it appears professionality will not be improving any time soon.

Confirms everything bad we've been saying about the training and medical staff. Not surprising at all, and I don't expect that to change with Ochsner still onboard.

The rest of it seems shocking, because the family atmosphere and taking care of players was Swin's whole job. I thought that was a strength of the Griff administration, so I am actually kinda stunned about that part.

It’s obvious that the training staff is terrible! Look at the past few seasons

Gayle is a garbage owner. Most people see it and yet there’s still people who defend her because they’re scared of the team leaving (won’t happen)