Dejounte Murray is set to return to the New Orleans Pelicans’ lineup on Wednesday night for the first time since he broke his left hand in a season-opening win against Chicago on October 23.
As he prepares to play against the Toronto Raptors, Murray is thinking about his mother.
After practice on Tuesday, Murray shared more about the personal reasons that led him to leave the team near the end of preseason. He revealed that his mother had suffered a stroke.
“It was tough to leave and go deal with that,” Murray explained. “As she got better, she wanted me to come play.” He also mentioned that his hand injury near the end of the game against Chicago felt like a sign from God telling him, “‘Nah, you need to stay with your mom.'”
Murray said that during that time, his main concern was his mother’s health, not his own recovery. “I wasn’t really worried about my recovery,” he said.
Now, with his mother recovering well, Murray is ready to return to basketball. “I’m ready to hoop. Play for my mother — she’s going to be watching,” he said. “I’m ready to compete, bring that winning spirit.”
The Pelicans (4-14) could really use his help, as they’ve lost 14 out of their last 16 games after starting the season with two wins. The team has been hit hard by injuries, with multiple starters missing time. Zion Williamson has been out for 12 games due to a hamstring injury, and both Herb Jones and Brandon Ingram have also been sidelined. Ingram missed practice on Tuesday with calf soreness.
However, Murray and fellow guard CJ McCollum are both expected to play against the Raptors.
“I don’t care how many games we’ve lost. I just know every time I step on the floor I feel like we can win games,” said Murray. “That’s just my mentality, and I feel like it can carry over to a lot of guys.”
