Murray’s act plays well in Denver
There is an exuberant manner mixed with a streak of combativeness to Jamal Murray that makes the Kitchener native stand out, and is in large part why he’s becoming one of the most promising young guards in the NBA.
The 21-year-old Denver Nugget knows he’s good, doesn’t mind showing opponents that he’s good, and if that rankles people every now and then? Well, tough. It says more about them than it does the emotional young Canadian, who takes great pride in running counter to conventional — and incorrect — wisdom.
“It’s kind of weird because they call Canadians soft and they always harp on that, and now they call me evil, so pick one — you can’t have both, man,” Murray said Monday at Scotiabank Arena, hours before scoring 21 points in the Nuggets’ 106-103 win over the Raptors. “I just go out there and compete. That’s the biggest thing.
“I love to challenge people. You get to see who the real people are when you challenge people. They take it with a grain of salt and challenge you back or they just get frustrated. So you see the real people when they get challenged.”
Murray’s developing a bit of a reputation in his third NBA season, not only for being an exceptional player but also for being a bit of an agitator, which is not a bad thing at all.
He ran afoul of the Boston Celtics earlier this season when he fired up a three-pointer at the buzzer, trying to post a 50point game. Boston’s Kyrie Irving rifled the ball into the stands to make it hard for Murray to have it as a keepsake, although Irving didn’t seem to overly perturbed when Murray was scoring at will on him and the rest of the Celtics defence.
Murray has a long-running feud with almost the entire Los Angeles Lakers organization. He’s traded verbal barbs with coach Luke Walton, waved goodbye facetiously at Kentavious Caldwell-Pope after Caldwell-Pope blew by him falling for a ball fake and Murray scored; he tangled with Isaiah Thomas, now his Denver teammate, last season and dribbled right around Lonzo Ball running out a Nuggets win.
Those are the kinds of things that seem to get Murray going.
“A lot of guys can’t play well when they’re emotional. Jamal’s one of those guys who actually plays better when he’s emotional, making shots, and the next thing you know he’s slinging arrows (his signature celebration after making a big three-pointer) and all the emotion is coming out of him,” Denver coach Michael Malone said.
“I think for a young player, it’s being true to yourself and making sure you don’t cross the line. I think sometimes he walks that line very, very closely, but at the end of the day I have his back. I love the kid, love coaching him. His edge is kind of what makes him who he is.”
Murray has been doing what he pleases to please himself for years now. He hasn’t come across the attitude just in the NBA.
As a teenager, there’s no question he could have had his pick of the upper echelon of American prep schools to prepare himself for one year of college, but he decided to stay close to home at Orangeville Prep. It ran counter to what so many Canadians teens do, but it worked out OK.
“That was the way I wanted to handle my business and I don’t regret one bit of it,” he said. “I got to play close to home, see my fam, see my little brother growing up who’s 10 years younger than me, play with Thon Maker, play in the States (in AAU competition and in exhibition games) at the same time.”
While Murray is trying to get the Nuggets back to the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2014, he’s also trying to keep one eye on Canada’s prospects playing for a spot in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He can’t follow every game closely because he’s tied up in the grind of an NBA season, but playing for Canada is certainly on his mind.
“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be great,” he said.
“We’ll talk more when the time comes, but hopefully I’ll be there. Hopefully they’ll want me on the roster, so I’ll prepare for that during the summer.”