After playing college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Daniel Gaffordwas drafted in the second round of the2019 NBA Draftby theChicago Bulls.In 2021, he was traded to the Washington Wizards. After playing in the nation’s capital for a few seasons, Gafford was traded again in February 2024 to the Dallas Mavericks.
He’s emerged as a very impactful player for a Mavs team that already has one of the best backcourts in the league with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Now given Gafford’s success, fans want to know more about his life off the court and his wife, DaShundra Morgan.
Gafford and Morgan are college sweethearts
Gafford and Morgan met at an off-campus party when they were both students at the University of Arkansas.
During aninterview with The Athletic, the couple talked about their first meeting and revealed that it was Morgan who made the first move.
“She saw me and decided to shoot her shot,” Gafford recalled.
Morgan added: “I was real persistent. No shame at all. Right when I saw him, you know when it’s the right person.”
She explained that she then took his phone and typed in her social media handle. After that, they began hanging out as friends and eventually their relationship blossomed. According to Gafford, “[It] turned into something that changed both of our lives.”
Morgan helped Gafford through one of the hardest times in his life
Gafford has spoken about his mental health and shared that while playing basketball for the Razorbacks, he experienced feelings of loneliness and not wanting to live anymore. He also admitted that his parents struggled financially and that made him want to quit school.
“I didn’t really like that when it came to my parents; that’s what really took a toll on me,” Gafford said. “I felt like I wasn’t doing enough.”
It was Morgan who helped him and got him to finally open up about his struggles. With her encouragement, he began to express himself and communicate what he was feeling. His Arkansas coaches then connected him with a therapist.
Gafford became stronger with Morgan by his side and after six years of dating, they tied the knot in June 2022. Following their nuptials, Morgan wrote a sweet message to her husband on Instagram that said: “My soul connected with you when I first saw you. I am finally at peace and it’s all because of you. I’ll fight for you every damn day till I can’t fight anymore …You make every day worth it Daniel from the first time I met you, till now & forever.”
Their house was robbed and ‘left in shambles’ right before Mavs trade
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Morgan has been by Gafford’s side throughout his professional career so whenever he had to pick up and move to a new city and a new house, she did too. A week before he was traded to Dallas, their residence outside D.C. was robbed and “left in shambles.”
As Andscape reported, “Their home in Alexandria, Virginia, was burglarized and ‘left in shambles’ about a week before the trade. [Morgan’s] jewelry and purses were among the valuables stolen along with Gafford’s gaming equipment. The good news was the Gaffords weren’t home at the time.”
Speaking about what happened, Gafford said: “Everything can be replaced as long as we have our lives and are in good spirits. Of course, I was a bit bent out of shape at the time. But I realize I play in the league and I’ve got a little bit of money, so I could get my stuff back. I looked at it that way positively. In some form of fashion, we are going to get a blessing out of this.”
Now that they’re settled in the Lone Star State, Gafford is enjoying their time there. That has to do with the fact that he’s playing in a place closer to where his friends and family can come watch him in person, which he calls a “highlight” in his career.
How to get help: To connect with mental health resources near you, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website.
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