New Orleans Pelicans: 23-year-old Bryce Dejean-Jones shot dead in Dallas apartment

The NBA family has lost a young player to a violent crime on Saturday morning in Dallas. NBA rookie guard Bryce Dejean-Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans, was fatally shot after breaking down doors to a Dallas apartment. The intruder was met by a resident who retrieved his handgun and called out to no avail. Next, he would go on to take the fatal shot.

Dejean-Jones was struck in the abdomen and ran out the complex where he would then collapse. The young man was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Dejean-Jones’ agent, Scott Nichols spoke with CNN and said that “he was at the wrong place at the wrong time”. I definitely have an issue with that statement, because nobody told Dejean-Jones to kick down apartment doors in search of his young daughter’s mother; which happened to be the wrong apartment at that. 

A child should never be put in the middle, and used against the other parent, as in this case reported by sources. These actions allegedly had him in a rage and high emotion. More details are still being gathered, on what made Dejean-Jones kick down an apartment door that was claimed to be his estranged girlfriend’s home. 

Violence is never the answer, regardless of the circumstances in front of you. I’ve been reading many of the comments out there on social media and in the news, and they’re calling Dejean-Jones a thug that should’ve been killed. That’s unfair to say at the same token, because we weren’t there and don’t know the full story as of yet. It’s easy to give an opinion when it’s not you in the situation. However, sports figures aren’t immune to violence and/or prosecution. Having money is one thing, but understanding the law is another.

So let’s be mindful and respect this young man’s family in this tragic loss. But I can understand the other side, where as a resident of your own home, you need to protect yourself and family from intruders. 

This was a 23-year-old young man with a bright future. He had recently signed a three-year, $2 million deal with the Pelicans. Dejean-Jones played college basketball at USC, UNLV and Iowa State respectively. He then went undrafted in 2015. Just a sad story altogether.