'I Gotta Win a F***** Championship:’ Spurs' Dejounte Murray Shares Fiery NBA Finals Goal
San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray had far and away the best campaign of his six-year career this past season.
Along with averaging a near triple-double of 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 9.3 assists, he added some impressive accolades to his resume, including being named the NBA steals leader (two steals per game) and being selected to his first-ever NBA All-Star Game.
But after being drafted 29th overall in 2016, Murray, 25, doesn't have any trophies in his case. He's clearly looking for more, something that came to light once more on social media Thursday after the Golden State Warriors took down the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Though they fell short, Murray sat back and watched as former assistant coach Ime Udoka and former teammate Derrick White got to play on the game’s biggest stage.
With ESPN's NBA theme playing in the background, Murray took to Instagram after the game to share his deliberate message about where his priorities lie for next season.
"I swear this s*** motivation, man," Murray said. "I gotta win a f***** championship."
He then shared another motivational message via Twitter that is sure to get Spurs fan fired up.
"Motivational Purposes Only. I Want A Championship Bad!!! SPEAK IT INTO EXISTENCE….."
It's always refreshing to see a team have its superstar also be its most hungry and vocally motivated. However, the Spurs will need to orchestrate some major additions to the roster in order to bring back the championship success this team has had over the past two decades.
Speculation has grown about the possibly of San Antonio adding star power in the form of Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton or Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who is close friends with Murray.
But the reality of the Spurs landing either seems slim, though not impossible. As a restricted free agent, Ayton will likely depart in a sign-and-scenario. The Suns won’t let the 23-year-old walk without getting some returning value for him or matching a potential deal.
As for LaVine, reports indicated Tuesday that San Antonio would “make a play” for the guard in free agency, but the chances of him signing with an up-and-coming Bulls team remain the most likely scenario.
The Spurs still have some promising young talent alongside Murray, including Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jakob Poeltl, and 2021 first-round pick Josh Primo. But it’ll take some maneuvering and most importantly, time, for the Spurs to get Murray where he’s always wanted to reach.
The first step in that process comes with the start of the 2022 NBA Draft Thursday in Brooklyn. With three first-round picks, the Spurs have an abundance of draft or trades options to make in order to rekindle the success of previous championship seasons that the franchise has become accustomed to.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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