Well, folks. We’ve officially reached the point of the NBA calendar when Pro-Am disputes are the most interesting thing in basketball.
The two players whose beef caught our attention over the weekend were 2022 NBA All-Star Dejounte Murray and 2022 NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero.
Earlier this summer, Murray made headlines for trying an incredibly disrespectful “off-the-heezy” move while playing at Jamal Crawford’s Pro-Am.
Murray and Banchero are both from Seattle and spent this weekend competing in Isaiah Thomas’ “Zeke-End” tournament in nearby Tacoma. Fans witnessed a preview of a potential Eastern Conference Southeast Division rivalry as Murray represents the Hawks and Banchero represents the Magic.
Banchero played well even when Murray, the NBA’s reigning steals leader, was defending him. Murray’s team eventually double-teamed Banchero to slow him down.
Emotions ran high, however, and things started to feel a bit intense on the court before eventually carrying over onto social media. Below is a summary of what happened in case you may have missed it on your timeline Sunday night.