David Murrell’s late-game dunk draws ire

There have been many instances in Philippine basketball that saw things get heated when a player on the winning team continues to pour on the points in a decided game – though it is unusual, as it is generally ingrained in the country’s local basketball culture to dribble the time out.

However, University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons’ Filipino-Canadian rookie David Murrell might have not received the memo.

With nine seconds left in their game against the National University Bulldogs and UP up 79-71, Murrell went for a breakaway dunk that drew flak from the Bulldogs.

“I didn’t like that either. If I were in coach Jamike [Jarin’s] shoes, I would be angry too,” admitted UP head coach Bo Perasol.

But according to Murrell, he meant no disrespect, saying that he had just wanted to dunk the ball.

“To be honest I just saw an opening and wanted to dunk it. I didn’t mean… [to] make it disrespectful or nothing. I just wanted to dunk the ball, to be honest,” the 6-foot-4 swingman admitted.

“I usually do that to back home. It’s kinda normal back home, but I guess out here they thought it was disrespectful.”

One of the student-cagers who tried to confront Murrell was NU’s ace rookie Dave Ildefonso. But the second-generation Nationalian shared that later on that he apologized to Murrell.

“Fault ko yun. I apologize to him,” expressed Ildefonso.

“Kung ako rin naman siguro – kung ako nakakatalon ng ganun kataas, dunk ko na rin.”

And Perasol plans to talk to Murrell and give him a briefing on Philippine basketball culture.

“I have to talk to him. There was no need for that,” said Perasol. “We have to understand that he wanted to get into his groove because for the longest time, he had been in the bench.

“But regardless of the reason that was just wrong and I’m going to talk to him.”