Dejounte Murray And Paolo Banchero Squabble After Viral Pro-Am

Top NBA draft pick Paolo Banchero and newly acquired Hawks guard Dejounte Murray entered Sunday evening hungry, then left with a chunk of beef.

Magic rookie, Banchero, and Murray shared the court for a Pro-Am in Washington and served each other with the opposite of summer love, thanks to some Murray showmanship that bordered on arrogant. What followed was a "fight" straight out of 2020s central casting - the entire thing unfolded on social media by way of emojis, slang and questionable grammar.

Rick Mahorn and Charles Oakley they are not. These are a couple of keyboard warriors who aren't afraid to throw a crying laughing emoji into the mix, regardless of the consequences.

Washington's Pro-Am got tasty once Murray - guarded by Banchero - embarrassed the rook with a clever move and dunk, talked some trash, gestured that he's "too small," then whipped the ball back to him.

Watch the cause of the Banchero-Murray beef below.

Seemingly uneasy after the video went viral, Banchero, who clearly prefers taking the offensive route to the defensive, fired back. Rather than do so on the court, or in the post game locker room, Banchero attacked Murray like a man - on Instagram.

In a cringe-worthy moment for English teachers, Banchero replied to video of Murray's flashy move at his expense by writing: "lol unfollowed me on tha gram n everything it must be personal huh?" He then added: "that's fine jus make sure u guard up next time n stop sending doubles family."

Them are fightin' words!

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 09: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic brings the ball up the court against the Sacramento Kings during the 2022 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 09, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images).

Murray, who was traded from San Antonio to Atlanta in late June, fired back with a social media shot of his own, responding by saying in part: "... You Changed From The Humble Kid You Always Was And I Stand On Real Shit Boy And YOU KNOW!!!!!!!!! You Made It And Changed And I Lost All Respect!!"

In an odd twist that aligns perfectly with this generation of NBA "tough guys," Murray's response concluded by reminding the 19-year-old Banchero to "stay humble," while also maintaining that he wants to see Orlando's rookie win.

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 10: Dejounte Murray #5 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 10, 2022 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images).

Atlanta and Orlando both compete in the league's Southeast Division, playing four times per season. This means that the Murray - Banchero beef could potentially do the unthinkable and make a mid-March Tuesday night Magic game watchable.

Chew on that.

 

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