Holy mother of wall of text. That did not format correctly. I even previewed the changes and it didn’t look like that. Here it is again:
Debate will go on and on about how if Murray was worth building a team around. We will not know for certain until maybe half a decade later.
Fact is: the Spurs didn’t believe it.
Why?
I don’t think we have to look at his individual performance and assess whether or not he could have elevated his game more or if it was possible for the team to raise its ceiling while paying him a max contract. I think the answer is simpler than that. With the Spurs, it has always been about culture. I’ve been on record saying DJ was a ticking time bomb. Even during when I supported his rise, I held the same belief. It’s known he’s had a rough childhood, and that has led him to have trust issues as an adult and random outbursts on social media or at times on the court. These are not things I held against him. He is human, after all, and we all go through . The problem is when it affects his ability to lead.
Those trust issues?
-Crept into not seeking mentorship more from the Big Three. If anyone noticed, DJ and Parker have this weird relationship where they only acknowledge each other when they have to.
-He did not truly take Primo under his wing. I paid attention to these two throughout last season, and while there are some photos of Murray talking to Primo on the floor, he would post a cryptic message the next day about how people “need to stay in their lane”.
-Speaking of those cryptic messages— imagine if the leader of the team was constantly posting about the people who are “real” to him and everyone else is fake. That is toxic as . Murray was always insecure, and maybe that motivated him big time to become a star but it’s a serious character flaw. I always thought Murray would grow out of it eventually as the years go by and that he would retire as a Spur. I thought that by the end of his career, he would be grateful about how the Spurs molded him into a great person. I think the Spurs still did end up doing that. He forgave his father recently and that was no small thing. Forgiving someone who hurt you is probably one of the most mature and most difficult thing one can do. And Murray did that. I’m proud of him.
The Spurs made a decision today. A decision that was probably brewing for awhile. The team now has players who seemingly have no troubled past. I think trading Murray allows someone else more equipped to take the leadership role. Someone else who will be more inclusive and accepts people for who they are. Everyone knows we need it.
I’m excited to find out who that will be.