Q&A with Toure’ Murry: talking Aftershocks, Wichita State, the NBA and his pro career
After being unable to play in last summer’s The Basketball Tournament due to injury, Toure’ Murry is hopeful he will get his chance to play in front of Wichita State fans one more time this summer at Koch Arena.
The 64-team, single-elimination tournament broadcast on ESPN with a winner-take-all $2 million grand prize is slated to return to Koch Arena for an encore performance featuring the Wichita State alumni team, the Aftershocks, from July 30-August 2. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown those plans into question, but as of now the tournament is still scheduled to take place.
The Eagle recently caught up with Murry, who is currently back home in Houston, Texas, about why he’s making it a priority to play in TBT, as well as reflecting back on his time as a Shocker, his time in the NBA and his professional career.
Playing for the Aftershocks
Murry was one of a dozen former Wichita State players who traveled back to Wichita last summer to be a part of the alumni team, the Aftershocks, to compete in The Basketball Tournament. But Murry was unable to play in games after tweaking his hamstring in his first practice with the team.
The Eagle: How tough was that for you not being able to play last summer?
Murry: It was definitely tough because you always want to compete and just play basketball. For something as minor as a hamstring tweak, it was tough. It was one of those things where if I pushed myself, I probably could have played, but then I would have jeopardized the money that I make overseas. It was a business decision and the best decision for my career. It was great to see so many fans show up to the game and play in such a great atmosphere in the summer. It was so hard to miss out on that.
The Eagle: An injury scare like that might make some not want to come back and play in TBT. Why is coming back a priority for you?
Murry: Just playing with the brotherhood, man. And I feel like I can definitely make a difference with the team. I can bring a different energy, a different type of ball handling, a different type of scoring. Me playing in the modern era of Gregg Marshall, it makes sense to play with these guys and give the fans an opportunity to see me play as a grown man and not seeing the little kid from Houston that graduated at 21 years old. Now they can watch me as a professional, a little more mature, a little more well-rounded.
The Eagle: Even though you didn’t play, how was it being back inside Koch Arena with a crowd?
Murry: It was an awesome experience. I hadn’t seen those guys in a while and our fans. It was great for networking and getting back in touch with those guys. Anybody who has lived in Wichita knows the community is very tight-knit and everybody comes together to cheer for the Shockers. It was a fun moment for me to come back and see everyone.
The Eagle: I’m sure you’ve seen the news of the six players transferring out of the program. What’s your opinion on that news?
Murry: I haven’t been inside that locker room, so I can’t really speak on what’s going on specifically with that situation. But being a player that came up early in the Marshall era, everybody knows it’s not easy. It’s not hard to figure out that Marshall is tough and he demands a different type of energy and effort from you. I know those guys go through tough moments because we all did. But I wasn’t with them in this particular situation and they obviously felt like they weren’t happy with their situation, so they decided to leave. That’s the beauty of living in American. You’ve got the freedom of choice to move schools and do whatever is best for you and your family. I wish those guys that left nothing but the best of luck.
Remembering his Wichita State career
Murry was a member of WSU coach Gregg Marshall’s first recruiting class that helped revitalize the program. In his final two years as a Shocker, Murry helped lead WSU to an NIT championship in 2011 and then a Missouri Valley championship and an NCAA Tournament bid in 2012. Murry never missed a game, ranks first all-time in program history in games started and minutes played, graduated as the program’s all-time assists leader (later being passed by Fred VanVleet) and ranks 12th all-time in scoring.
The Eagle: There hasn’t been many freshmen who have made an impact like you did your first year at WSU. Was that overwhelming at all shouldering that big of a load as a freshman?
Murry: You don’t know what to expect coming into college as a young kid, but I did know that I was ready for the challenge. I was pretty confident coming in and coach Marshall definitely put a lot on me, but he knew my talent and knew how much I could take on. The best thing about playing for coach Marshall was that he never let me settle. I might score 18 points one game, but he’ll bring me to his office the next day and say, ‘We need you to rebound more. We need you to defend the best guy more.’ He always challenged me. I definitely give coach Marshall a lot of credit because he pushed me to a new limit.
The Eagle: That freshman year you make two game-winners in two weeks. Take me through that second one when you made the three down two points against Missouri State in the final seconds. What do you remember about that play?
Murry: It’s funny because anybody who knew me before Wichita State, they knew that middle school, high school, AAU, I’ve always been about hitting game-winning shots. I don’t know if it’s a luck thing or what, but I had been doing it for a lot of years. So I’ve always loved those moments.
So about that one in particular, you have to remember two weeks earlier, I hit a game-winner against Evansville. So in the huddle, the whole arena knew who the ball was going to. I remember coach Marshall was drawing up the play and it was for me to set a back screen for J.T. Durley and then to receive a screen from Ramon Clemente. For a freshman, that’s a really big moment for a young kid to get that opportunity to make a shot. I remember Clevin (Hannah) almost lost the ball, but he got it to me and I knew the defender was chasing me on my tail and I had to get the shot up quick. It was just one of those shots I was very confident in and I was having a great game and I made the shot. That was a great moment and a very big staple of my career.
The Eagle: How much did that mean to you to have a coach like Gregg Marshall put his faith in you?
Murry: It’s everything. There was no ambiguity. No hesitation. Marshall told me from Day One that I was going to come in and have to compete for my spot. I ended up winning the spot and from then on, it’s all about getting better. He knew I was going to make a ton of mistakes, but he knew I had the talent. He guided me and each and every year I added something different to my game to help the team. I give coach Marshall a lot of credit for pushing me every day and not letting me settle for just being a great player.
The Eagle: You accomplished a lot in your four years at WSU and that set the program up for even more success in the near future after you graduated. How much pride did you feel during the Final Four run and the 35-1 season, even though it came after your time?
Murry: It was so awesome to watch, I can’t lie. My whole goal coming to Wichita State was to make it to the NCAA Tournament and we did that my final year. I wanted to let people know that if you want to call us a mid-major, just know that we can play some basketball here. They needed to start paying attention to Wichita State. So I wasn’t too surprised to see the success with those guys. I always saw the vision and it was just perfect timing. We paved the way and I wish we could have made it that far too, but that’s why it’s a brotherhood. It’s one big family. Just as much as those guys made it, I feel like we all made it.
Chasing the NBA dream
After going undrafted following his Wichita State career, Murry finally landed his breakthrough with the New York Knicks in his second year as a pro in the 2013-14 season. Murry played in 51 games for the Knicks that season, averaging 2.7 points in 7.3 minutes per game. The following season, Murry played one game for the Utah Jazz and four games for the Washington Wizards. Murry spent the first five years of his professional career bouncing in between the NBA and the NBA D-League, where he carved out a successful career and won two championships.
The Eagle: What was the biggest takeaway from your time in the NBA and the NBA D-League?
Murry: The biggest takeaway was learning that there are going to be a lot of downs and you have to learn how to persevere and learn how to be a professional. The thing that I learned about the NBA is that it’s easier to get in, but it’s harder to stay in. You have so much new talent coming in right after you every single year. I played for the Knicks that one season, then I signed with the Utah Jazz the next and that’s when I knew that I was officially an NBA guy because I got another deal.
The Eagle: What was it like playing for the Knicks, such a storied franchise, in Madison Square Garden?
Murry: The whole New York City life, Times Square, playing for the Knicks, it was a lot. You have all of these superstars around you that you grew up reading about, like Spike Lee sitting courtside. And then you have Tracy Morgan calling my name and telling me he likes me game and a guy like Clyde Frazier saying great things about me. Being in that type of environment was really mind-blowing for me. It was kind of like living a celebrity life, even though I wasn’t a celebrity, I was around celebrities all the time so it kind of felt that way.
The Eagle: You spent five years battling for a spot in the NBA and that included several stops in the NBA D-League. What did you take away from that experience?
Murry: Playing in the D-League is pretty much an audition every single night to potentially get a call-up to the NBA. If you play bad, then you know the NBA won’t be looking at you. But if you win Player of the Week, then maybe you’ll get another chance. The thing in the D-League is that nobody wants to settle for just being a D-League player. Everyone wanted to move up, so it was definitely a different type of atmosphere. Every game was kind of like do or die.
The Eagle: When did you know you wanted to make the transition from grinding in the D-League to playing overseas?
Murry: I wanted to make sure I made the move to playing in Europe only when I felt like I had exhausted all of my options. When I felt like the NBA was telling me, ‘Toure’, we appreciate you, but right now we’re not looking at you.’ And that happened when I got cut by the T-Wolves (before the 2016-17 season). The last roster spot was down to me and John Lucas Jr. and they ended up going with him and that’s when I knew it was time for me to go to Europe. I was OK playing abroad because I knew I had given everything I had to the NBA and I tried my best, so I left with no regrets. To this day, I can look back and still be OK with the decision to stop chasing the NBA.
The Eagle: So there’s no desire to make one final push to play in the NBA again?
Murry: I have no desire to pursue my NBA dream again. I won two D-League championships, I played for three NBA teams. I did everything that a kid could dream of by playing in the NBA, so I have no desire to chase it again. Now I’m just enjoying different countries and the experiences that come with it and allowing the game to continue to bless me and take me around the world.
Life overseas as a professional
Murry recently wrapped up his eighth professional season, playing for Benfica in Lisbon, Portugal in the country’s top-tier league. Benfica was 20-2 in league play and in second place when the season was ended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The team was also in the second round of Europe Cup play. Murry averaged 10.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists through all competitions, while making 45.2% of his field goals and 39.5% of his three-pointers. Murry’s career in basketball has taken him to Turkey, Germany, Greece, Bosnia, Italy and Portugal.
The Eagle: So give me a review of how your season went in Portugal?
Murry: Portugal is a beautiful country, first off. I definitely enjoyed living there for a little over seven months. Great people, great food, very diverse with a lot of culture. As far as on the court, it was a pretty up and down season as far as the basketball goes. Benfica is one of the best teams in Portugal, so there was definitely a lot of attention and a great experience. I would probably give it a ‘B’ as far as performance for me.
The Eagle: The coronavirus really hit Italy hard, especially Lombardy, which I know you spent a lot of time in. Did that hit home for you?
Murry: It definitely hits home. Italy was a great country and I can’t imagine a country so little like that being affected as much as it has been. The city that I was living in last year, that’s where the most cases are and probably the most dangerous place to be in the country. I can’t imagine being in that city right now with it being hit so drastically, so I definitely have a soft spot for them and my heart goes out to those people. I still have friends there.
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