Inside The Huskies

Ex-Husky Dejounte Murray Is the Man Who Makes People Feel Good

The San Antonio Spurs guard and Seattle native spreads more goodwill by surprising his sister with a visit and a car.

Dan Raley

In this story:

Dejounte Murray likes to make people happy. Smile. Feel loved. He has a well-documented history of doing this.

This past week, the former University of Washington basketball player turned NBA All-Star flew to Seattle and surprised his sister, Jacaiyah, by giving her a car for her 18th birthday, making good on a long-ago promise to her.

Murray's stipulations for his younger sibling were to get good grades, work an after-school job and stay out of trouble.

She made good on all of that and he made good on being a role-model big brother.

"These are the moments and things I live for," Murray said on social media while posing for a photo with her and the new car.

Just a few weeks ago, a heartfelt Murray was the first one who gave San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich a post-game hug in a photo that went viral. He next was the one who presented Popovich with the game ball in the locker room after the basketball mastermind became the NBA's winningest coach. 

Murray is the team leader in more ways than triple-doubles and All-Star game appearances.

Dejounte Murray and Gregg Popovich embrace after the latter became the NBA's all-time winningest coach.
Dejounte Murray hugs coach Gregg Popovich / San Antonio

This past offseason, Murray saw on social media where Spurs fan Monique Dillard was shopping for his jersey and wondering out loud if she should buy one or two — purchasing the extra one just in case she ever met him and was able to get the shirt autographed.

Murray got together with an astonished Dillard within 90 minutes.

The 6-foot-4 guard from Seattle's Rainier Beach area and a fifth-year NBA player on the rise floored Dillard by messaging her and making arrangements to meet her right away, sign a jersey and have a photo taken. 

Spurs fan Monique Dillard gets a surprise autograph from Dejounte Murray.
Dejounte Murray went out of his way to make Spurs fan Monique Dillard happy / Monique Dillard

He enjoys being the good guy. It has its rewards.

"I thank God for allowing me to do things like this," Murray said on social media, "because I swear this type of stuff brings a smile to my face more than doing anything for myself!" 

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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