Rookie Kevin Murphy rejoins Jazz after birth of son

Rookie guard Kevin Murphy arrived at the Jazz practice facility mid-practice Thursday after missing the first two days of camp for the birth of his son.

Murphy, the No. 47 selection in June's draft, flew home to Atlanta on Tuesday and posted on his Twitter account Wednesday that his wife gave birth to a son.

"Thank the lord for another day," he posted. "Thank you for giving us a healthy baby!!!"

The first-year player averaged 20.6 points per game last season at Tennessee Tech. Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said missing the first two days of camp "hurts him a little bit," but that seeing his first child born was more important.

"He has a lot to learn against stiff competition," Corbin said. "Not being here the first four practices [two-a-days] will hurt him some, but hopefully he can get up to speed quickly. The great thing is he had the opportunity to go home and see his first child being born. That's more important than anything."

With Murphy and his wife expecting, fatherhood was a theme of training camp. Earl Watson said earlier this week that becoming a father has made him a better leader, an idea that Corbin endorsed across the board.

"The guys have a bigger responsibility with everything in their life," he said. "They tend to get more serious with everything that's going on in their life."

Mo Williams, who is expecting his fifth child in February, said he has a deal with his unborn baby that he will be born over the All-Star break, so Williams does not have to miss any games.

"We had an understanding," he joked. "Obviously, I have to buy him a better car when he turns 16, that was his thing. All my other kids they get something like I had, like a Ford Taurus or something like that. But he said he wanted something else."

— Bill Oram