With his girlfriend Chloe Kitts sitting by his side, former South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles stood up from his chair inside the Barclays Center on Wednesday after he was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
What Murray-Boyles did after hearing his name called is something that immediately went viral for all the wrong reasons.
Following the selection, the newest member of the Raptors was caught by an ESPN camera shaking his head and saying "F**k." While Murray-Boyles was busy being congratulated by Kitts and other friends and family after getting drafted, the damage had already been done, and he quickly found out he already had a problem to fix just minutes into his NBA career.
Chloe Kitts caught in the middle of controversy after Collin Murray-Boyles creates a viral NBA Draft moment
Luckily, it didn't take very long for Murray-Boyles to clarify that what people saw on the broadcast was not a negative reaction to landing with Toronto in this year's NBA Draft.
Shortly after getting selected, the rookie forward was asked about the clip, and he explained why he reacted the way he did in one of the biggest moments of his life.
"[It was] just disbelief. Toronto was my first team that I worked out for. So, what I said was not a bad thing by any means. Just very thankful for it.
That was a surreal moment to hear my name called, and by this organization that has a good history and [has] really good players as of right now. It was just a crazy moment. Obviously, [I'm] thankful for the opportunity that they're giving me."
So, it seems like the emotions of the moment just got to Murray-Boyles, and his reaction was just a product of that. That's bound to happen to a person whose life has just experienced a massive change in front of a live and nationally televised audience.
As for Kitts, well, she made it pretty clear with an Instagram story after the selection that she wasn't concerned about how her boyfriend reacted to getting drafted by the Raptors.
While Murray-Boyles prepares for his first season in the NBA, Kitts will enter her senior season at South Carolina in a few months.
The 6-foot-2 forward is coming off a 2024-25 campaign at the school in which she averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Kitts' performance on the court has helped South Carolina make it all the way to the NCAA Tournament National Final in each of the last two seasons, including a win in the contest in 2023-24.
Back in April, ESPN's Michael Voepel ranked Kitts as the 10th-best prospect who could be available in the 2026 WNBA Draft. So, if all goes well at South Carolina next season, then it will be her turn to get drafted in 2026.
Hopefully, her reaction to the moment won't cause as much commotion as Murray-Boyles's did on Wednesday.