Dejounte Murray makes UTSA grad’s day with two shoutouts

John Martinez, a lifelong San Antonio resident, was at his graduation celebration dinner after receiving his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Texas San Antonio when he decided to ask for a “shoutout” from Spurs’ star Dejounte Murray. Martinez got his wish, as Murray congratulated him via his Instagram page.

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Martinez — who goes by the Twitter username @VXODinero — about the shoutout, and he admitted was having a very rough time throughout the last few weeks leading up to his graduation. He had to deal with the stress of studying for his finals, was suffering from anxiety of having to figure out post-graduation plans, and he was going through a tough breakup as well.

“Dejounte, and others [showing me love] really made my day. It reminded me that positive energy is out there, I just have to focus on it.”

Per Martinez, the reason he naturally gravitates toward Dejounte is because he saw Murray’s journey from being a role player in Austin, transitioning to an All-Star, and being a leader amongst the Spurs.

“He has the most complete game I’ve ever seen, he’s a defensive beast, and his offense have improved exponentially. But most importantly, [I love] the story of his early life and how he turned it around, it’s a story I can relate to so much. So many of us come from less fortunate circumstances and don’t get the chance to achieve our goals. He is inspirational on all levels.”

After the first shoutout, Martinez decided to purchase a Murray jersey in support of his favorite player. To his surprise, Dejounte Murray re-posted Martinez a second time on Instagram.

“Dejounte showing love made me grateful to not only be a supporter of his, but of the Spurs as a whole. He doesn’t have to recognize us [the fans].”

Martinez may feel lucky that he is one of the few Spurs fans who received a shoutout from his favorite player, but it is also a testament that with hard work, dedication, and a little bit of hope, anything can happen.

When asked about how he felt when Murray re-posted Martinez not only once but twice, Martinez added, “Sharing the positivity, especially in these times, is important now more than ever. I can’t wait to see him do even greater things as an individual player and as the flag bearer for the Spurs. I’ll be cheering for him all the way.”