Put it in Perspective: Keegan Murray and Life Outside of the Game

While the average fan cares about performance on the court, it's important to remember that athletes have lives away from the game too.

Making the adjustment from college to the NBA is one of the most difficult transitions in the sport. Not only will young players have to adjust to a higher speed and different rules, they also need to adjust to constant traveling, and actually making their passion their work, which is a transition easier said than done.

As if that wasn't enough to handle, rookie forward Keegan Murray is going through a rough time as his grandmother suffered a stroke in Charlotte when the Kings were visiting the Hornets.

While Murray's father, Kenyon, has repeatedly said on Twitter his son will be fine, needless to say it's a lot for anyone to handle, let alone someone who has the eyes of the basketball world on him.

It's yet another reminder that basketball players, just like the rest of us, are people first, and there's a need for fans to understand - and respect - that. Basketball, at the end of the day, is entertainment. Yes, it's a huge multi-billion dollar industry, but the product is, for all intents and purposes, a break from life to those who want one.

Even NBA veterans, who are established and know the business, can get thrown off their game by some of the things outside of the hardwood. Packing up a house mid-season due to a trade, and having to find a new school for the kids, is by all accounts a nightmare. Yet, players are expected to be brilliant as soon as they take the court for their new team.

This isn't to say NBA players don't have advantages. Many of these players can fortunately afford to outsource many of their logistical issues, and thus maintain their focus on basketball until the offseason.

Not so when dealing with family matters, however.

This is a different element, where money and lifestyle privileges make no difference. As such, it's crucial to make a mental note about Murray, if he looks out of sorts on the court. While we may not live in a fair world, we can each do our part in being fair to a young man, who is dealing with a lot these days.

That is to say, let's avoid holding him up against Rookie Of the Year favorites, calling him a disappointment, or whatever negative narrative fans tend to work up if a player goes through a stretch of poor play.

I could post Murray's numbers since the game in Charlotte to illustrate my point, but I'm not going to. It doesn't matter. He could have played 48 minutes per game, not registered a single statistic, and it would have been entirely understandable. That's where we need to operate.

Frankly, the only narrative around Murray worth keeping an eye on is whether or not the Kings have given him a choice to play or not. Here's hoping Sacramento has done just that.

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