NBA player Bryce Dejean-Jones died in Dallas after being shot in the stomach in Dallas. He was 23 years old.
New Orleans Pelicans swingman Bryce Dejean-Jones died Saturday morning after he was shot in the abdomen while breaking down the door of a Dallas apartment.
Police say Dejean-Jones was fatally shot after breaking and entering the apartment a little after 3 a.m., per Fox 4 News. After hearing the break-in, the resident grabbed his gun and shot the 23-year-old intruder as he entered the bedroom.
Dejean-Jones would die later that morning after collapsing on an outdoor passageway. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The former Iowa State Cyclone was undrafted coming out of college in 2015. After impressing in the NBA D-League, where he averaged 19.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game as a member of the Idaho Stampede, the Pelicans would call up the lanky 6’7″ shooting guard.
Taking full advantage of this opportunity, Dejean-Jones would perform admirably for the 14 games he appeared in the NBA, earning him a three-year contract with New Orleans in February despite undergoing season-ending wrist surgery.
The Pelicans declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Dejean-Jones’ death, but did release the following statement:
"“It is with deep sadness that the Pelicans organization acknowledges the sudden passing of Bryce Dejean-Jones,” the team said in a statement. “We are devastated at the loss of this young man’s life who had such a promising future ahead of him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bryce’s family during this difficult time.”"
Likewise, NBA commission Adam Silver released a statement as well concerning the death of the 23 year-old wing:
"“The NBA family mourns the tragic loss of New Orleans Pelicans guard Bryce Dejean-Jones. Bryce inspired countless people with his hard work and perseverance on his journey to the NBA, and he had a bright future in our league. Our thoughts and sympathy are with Bryce’s family and the entire Pelicans organization during this difficult time.”"
Bryce Dejean-Jones inadvertently entered door of the wrong apartment when shot to death while trying to go to his child's mom's home, source
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) May 28, 2016
Dejean-Jones was born and raised in Los Angeles, where he attended View Park Prep and graduated from Westchester Senior High School in 2010. Thereafter, he began his college career at USC, but quickly transferred to UNLV after his freshman year.
After red-shirting his sophomore season, he would lead the Runnin’ Rbels to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014.
He would subsequently transfer once again, however, to Iowa State to play under coach Fred Hoiberg. That season, the team went 25-9 and captured the Big 12 Conference title and made a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
He was fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.5 points in 33 games. He shot a career-best 47.6 percent in his lone season as a Cyclone.
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This season, Dejean-Jones finished his rookie campaign averaging 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds a game.
"“Bryce overcame a lot of obstacles to get to this point in his career,” his agent, Scott Nichols, told the Guardian. “He was a joy to be around, a talent just turning the corner in his career.”"
Hoiberg added in a statement that Dejean-Jones was a “passionate and talented player that lived out his dream of playing in the NBA through hard work and perseverance.”