New Orleans Pelicans’ guard Dejounte Murray is expected to make his season debut on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors.
Murray has been out for over 13 months since rupturing his right Achilles tendon.
“There’s a lot of excuses for a chump to be like, ‘Nah, I ain’t playing,’ and I’m the opposite of that,” Murray said on Monday. “What I’ve been through, what I go through, I use that all to fuel the fire.
Pelicans interim coach James Borrego complimented Murray’s desire to get back on the court despite the team’s struggles this season.
“It speaks to his character — that he cares,” Borrego said. “I’m not saying that everybody coming off this injury would even play right now. This kid wants to play. He wants to be out there on the floor. He wants to compete.”
Borrego added that it’s too early to “have a conversation” about Murray’s fit with the team in the long-term.
The Pelicans are 16-42 on the season.