During a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray opened up about his difficult year in New Orleans, describing it as his “worst experience in the NBA,” as reported by Rashad Milligan of NOLA.com.
Despite the challenges, Murray emphasized he has “nothing but love” for the city and its fans.
Murray faced a tough season both on and off the court. Physically, he suffered two serious injuries – a broken hand and a torn Achilles tendon.
Off the court, he endured multiple personal tragedies, including the loss of a cousin, his mother having a stroke, and an uncle’s overdose. Amid all this turmoil, he also felt let down by the level of support from the Pelicans organization.
Reflecting on the situation, Murray said, “The organization, it got bad, man. As you guys can see, such and such got fired, another guy left, they brought new people in.”
He was referring to significant front-office changes, such as the firing of Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin at the end of the season, and the departure of general manager Bryson Graham, who left to join the Atlanta Hawks’ front office.
Murray described the emotional toll the season took on him, saying, “I’m stressed, I’m mad everyday, I’m sad, I’m angry, I don’t want to be there at that time. It’s just so much going on.”
He added, “It wasn’t just me, it was everybody’s mental. Every player. I hope this brings peace to my brothers. I hope everyone gets what they need.”
He concluded with a call for organizational cohesion: “I hope the organization gets it together because you have the talent, but it ain’t just the talent. You need every dot to connect to have a chance to win.”
Southwest Notes: Murray, Edey, Flagg, Mavs, Hooper https://t.co/hTMwDNP8mu pic.twitter.com/C4KVsW0ZKH
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) June 20, 2025
