The Dallas Mavericks are probably one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. But that always wasn’t the case. The Mavs suffered a mid-season slump, which resulted in them dropping out of a guaranteed Western Conference standings. However, the trade deadline addition of 25-year-old Daniel Gafford has had a transformative effect on the Mavs. But while people know Gafford: The Mavs star, his personal life is relatively unknown.

Daniel Gafford is the son of Wayne Gafford and Teresa Frazier –whom he considers his role models and believes gets his work ethic from– and has four siblings. In June 2022, he tied the knot with his girlfriend of six years, DaShundra Morgan. The two met at an off-campus “kickback”/party during Gafford’s freshman year at Arkansas University where he was majoring in sport management. At the time of the party, Gafford had been in school for less than two weeks. However, as fate would have it, Gafford crossed paths with DaShundra while searching for a Wi-Fi signal, and he found that the strongest reception was near DaShundra and her friends. So who made the first move?

Contrary to conventional wisdom, it was DaShundra who made the first move. During an interview with the Athletic, Gafford and Morgan recounted their first meeting. Daniel said, “She saw me and decided to shoot her shot.” Morgan further added, “I was real persistent. No shame at all,” she said. “Right when I saw him, you know when it’s the right person.” The two became good friends after their first meeting. However, by Gafford’s sophomore season, they began a serious relationship, which, according to Daniel Gafford, “turned into something that changed both of our lives.”

DaShundra helped Daniel Gafford through mental health issues

Daniel Gafford was a highly touted high school prospect, who was ranked No.1 in the state of Arkansas. He had scholarship offers from several D1 universities like Kansas, Vanderbilt, and Florida. However, he chose to represent the Arkansas Razorbacks. Therefore, from the outside looking in, everything seemed to be right in Gafford’s life. However, that couldn’t have been further away from the truth.

Daniel Gafford experienced mental lapses and feelings of loneliness, which eventually led to thoughts of not wanting to live anymore. In an interview with the Athletic, Gafford said, “I didn’t really like that when it came to my parents,” Gafford said. “That’s what really took a toll on me. I felt like I wasn’t doing enough.” Gafford states this after watching his parents struggle financially, further pushing him to consider quitting.

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However, DaShundra Morgan’s entry into Daniel Gafford’s life changed everything. DaShundra, who spent hours in a car with Gafford encouraging him to open up, eventually succeeded in getting him to express his true feelings. As a result, Gafford became more receptive to Arkansas coaches, who then helped connect him with a therapist. Gafford now attributes his improved communication skills to the therapy sessions and considers his favorite career moment to be his parents watching him start his first game with the Dallas Mavericks.