It was a tough run for Team Canada at the Paris Olympics. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates ran into a determined French squad led by Victor Wembanyama on home soil. They exited in the quarterfinals with an 82-73 loss, marking the end of their Olympic run.
High expectations were placed on this Canadian squad, with added intrigue for the participation of Jamal Murray, who averaged 21.2 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 59 games last season with the Denver Nuggets. Murray did not participate with Team Canada at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, preventing the group from having a perimeter star next to Gilgeous-Alexander at the time. This was the most talented group Canada had sent to the Olympics in history.
I asked #Nuggets star Jamal Murray about his potential max contract extension after Canada’s game vs Team USA. He said, “When we get there, we get there I guess. I am playing games for Canada so it’s not on my mind.” @DPostSports pic.twitter.com/MsSneIKnRH
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) July 11, 2024
Murray struggled throughout the tournament, averaging 6.0 points on 29% shooting. Despite receiving 20.5 minutes per game, Murray could have been more effective, failing to meet expectations as someone slotted to provide secondary scoring next to Gilgeous-Alexander.
Nuggets president Josh Kroenke didn’t hold back in his assessment of Murray’s performance, as reported by The Denver Post.
“When you’re going against the best in the world, whether it’s in the NBA playoffs or in the Olympics, you’re gonna get an opponent’s best shot,” Kroenke said. “And if you’re not 100% and you know you want to be out there still, you’re gonna try to fight through it like Jamal is. But I know he wasn’t 100%. I know getting him back there is a big step toward seeing the Jamal who was throwing up triple-doubles in the NBA Finals.”
"No one from Kitchener has made it this far, so it's nice to be a pioneer in that sense" 🇨🇦
Jamal Murray speaks on his hometown and what it means to represent Kitchener in the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/F3dLe4TP1q
— UNINTERRUPTED Canada 🇨🇦 (@UNCanada) May 31, 2023
Kroenke noted that Murray’s nagging ankle injury, among other physical setbacks, severely hampered his performance both in the late stages of the NBA playoffs and at the Olympics. Despite these struggles, Kroenke expressed confidence in Murray’s ability to bounce back:
“Jamal’s a great player, one of the best in the NBA,” Kroenke said. “He felt the Olympics were for him. Just reading some of his quotes, I know he was frustrated a little bit. So I have no doubt that he’ll use that the right way for motivation going into the season.”
Murray, who has one season remaining on his current contract is eligible for a max extension. The Nuggets are hopeful his Olympic experience will fuel a more efficient and determined Murray for the upcoming 82-game regular season.
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