SUMMARY
- Dejounte Murray overcame a challenging childhood marked by parental absence, exposure to gang violence, drugs, and juvenile detention.
- Dejounte Murray openly expressed his desire for a relationship with his father, John Murray, after years of differences.
Dejounte Murray has continuously displayed the qualities of the best player through his performances. He is widely renowned for his defensive skills. This can be attested by his achievement of becoming the youngest player in league history to be named to an all-defensive team in 2018. Dejounte’s journey has been remarkable as he changed the course of his life despite having a troubling childhood.
His mother was in and out of jail, whereas, his father, John Murray, was absent for most of his childhood and early life. However, Dejounte doesn’t hold any grudges against either of them. In addition to this, he has expressed that he wants to have a relationship with his dad. Notably, the NBA player was exposed to gang violence, drugs, addiction, and drive-by shootings as a child.
All of this took a toll on him, and he found himself locked up in Jail at the mere age of eleven. After debuting in the league in 2016, Dejounte took to his ‘X‘ account to reveal that a decade ago, he was in juvenile and told the guards that he would never come back and make a life for himself. They did not believe him, and now those same guards are asking him for pictures and autographs.
Furthermore, he reunited with his father, John, and shared his thoughts on Instagram. Dejounte said, “We had our differences for almost 7-8 years and I just want a relationship with my Dad before it’s too late.” He expressed that he didn’t want himself or his dad to have regrets about not being a man and fixing the problems they had. “I love you Dad more than you will ever know,” the Atlanta Hawks star added.
Dejounte Murray gifted his father, John Murray, a new truck on his birthday
In the Instagram post wherein Dejounte Murray expressed that he just wants a relationship with his dad. He also revealed what he got him on his birthday. Turns out, the NBA player brought a new truck for his father, John’s birthday, and as an early Father’s Day gift. He stated, “Happy birthday and happy early Father’s Day and I hope you love the truck king.”
This wholesome moment went viral across all social media platforms and Dejounte’s fans expressed that they are happy for the star. Furthermore, in the viral post, the basketball player also disclosed that John took ownership of why he wasn’t there as much as Dejounte wanted as a child. “but what matters is focusing on what’s right and that’s fixing our son/father relationship RIGHT NOW,” he added.
Dejounte Murray surprised his dad with a new truck for Father’s Day ❤️ @DejounteMurray pic.twitter.com/hVHiBmcDbV
— Overtime (@overtime) June 19, 2022
Additionally, Dejounte who is a father himself to two little girls has often talked about the kind of father he wants to be to them. He once posted a video of his daughter on her birthday and expressed that he sometimes feels that he had a difficult time growing up so that his kids can enjoy their childhood. In other instances, he has revealed that he did not know how a father should be but he is willing to do everything for his daughters.
His journey has served as an inspiration for countless people. Despite facing hardships in such tender years of life, Dejounte made a life for himself. The 11-year-old kid who went in and out of juvenile is making an impact on the basketball world. His family and his fans are immensely proud of him and all of his hard work.
