Dejounte Murray, now with the New Orleans Pelicans after being traded by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2024 offseason, attended Mitch Johnson’s introductory press conference as the new head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. Murray was acquired by the Hawks from the Spurs, where he played under Gregg Popovich. Despite past criticisms of his time in San Antonio, Murray has always maintained a strong relationship with Popovich.

Nate Ryan of KENS5 posted on X on May 5, 2025, “Dejounte Murray at Mitch Johnson’s #Spurs presser. An active NBA player on another team, returning for a momentous occasion. Not sure this happens with any other team. Really cool.” The presence of an active NBA player from another team at such an event highlights the special connection Murray has with Johnson and the Spurs organization.

Murray and Johnson's relationship goes back to Murray's teenage years in Washington. Murray expressed deep gratitude towards Johnson in December 2024, stating, “He means the world to me. The world to me. A lot of people don’t understand... I owe him just so much.” Murray credited Johnson with helping him during a difficult period in his life around the age of 15, providing guidance, discipline, and support by building an AAU team for him.

Murray shared an old picture of himself and Johnson from their AAU days on Instagram, captioning it, “This Sh*+ Deeper Than Basketball….. I’m Forever In Debt For You Giving Me Hope To Do The Right Things.” This post illustrates the profound impact Johnson had on Murray's life beyond basketball.

It is worth noting that Murray also expressed strong sentiments about Hawks head coach Quin Snyder before being traded. Snyder himself has connections to Popovich and the Spurs, having been considered for the head coaching position before Johnson was appointed.