What’s the beef?
At first, I thought this was just playful summer league pick-up ball banter, but it appears these guys really hate each other.
I wonder if this was over a girl. It sounds like it is over a girl.
Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks hit Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero with a sick pump fake at the Zeke-End pro-am basketball tournament in Washington on Sunday, which even had Murray’s teammate, Trae Young, shook.
Banchero then had some words for Murray on Instagram after the viral moment:
And while the initial exchange might have had a “big bro picking on little bro in the gym” vibe, Murray’s own response indicated it perhaps runs a bit deeper:
Murray went back on IG and posted a lengthy message about disrespect and how Paolo has changed.
Many fans felt like this was just some good-‘ol friendly trash talk between the two young talents. As it turns out, though, that might not exactly be the case. We don’t know what exactly happened during the Pro-Am game between these two players. Based on these comments from both Dejounte Murray and Paolo Banchero, though… things may not have went so pleasantly between them.
The NBA schedule for the 2022 – 2023 season will not be released for at least another week. Based on this interaction, though… you can bet fans that they’ll be circling on their calendars the first time the Hawks and the Magic go up against each other.
It is hard to say the root of the beef, but I am all for players hating each other. It makes the games more interesting, in my opinion.
Everyone is a little too friendly for my tastes. To have a true rival, you need to despise the guy, and then you guys can be friends after you retire.
I know I will be watching the Magic-Hawks games now.
Flip the pages for the back-and-forth beef.