Some NBA relationships are built around basketball. Dejounte Murray's bond with Gregg Popovich clearly went much deeper, and years after leaving the San Antonio Spurs, Murray is still opening up about the coach who cared about his life before his career.
That meant stepping into problems most young players would struggle to handle alone. For Murray, Popovich became someone he could trust during some of the toughest moments of his life. That relationship still carries plenty of weight today.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray
Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
On August 29, Murray's emotional account of Popovich's influence revealed just how personal their relationship became during his early NBA years. Murray said the Spurs legend was more than a coach and described him as a father figure who genuinely wanted him to succeed in life first and basketball second.
"He was like a father figure. There's, there's – it's so many stories. And if he was able to come sit here and talk, he'd tell you he's never had a player come in his office that cried on his shoulder from how many murders he had to deal with back home in Seattle. How many funerals I had to pay for.

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