The 2023 FIBA World Cup held in Manila, Philippines saw Canada finish in third place with Germany and Serbia finishing first and second, respectively. With the Canadians on their way to the Paris Olympics, Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray is finally giving his answer on whether he’ll play for his home country or not.
At this point in time, Murray is still out of action because of an ankle injury. The Nuggets’ starting point guard has only participated in 54 games this season, with averages of 20.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, while shooting 47 percent from the field, and 41 percent from beyond the arc.
Team Canada, on the other hand, are filled with familiar names from the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the squad in scoring by averaging 24.5 points during the most recent FIBA World Cup, while making 6.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists. RJ Barrett averaged 16.8 points while Dillon Brooks posted 15.1 points per game.
Aside from those names, Team Canada also has Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luguentz Dort, Kelly Olynyk, and Dwight Powell in the lineup. Having Murray join them will give the squad a true star to run the offense at the point guard position while adding another layer to the offense as well.
Denver Nuggets Star Jamal Murray Speaks Out on Playing for Team Canada in Paris Olympics
Months after the FIBA World Cup ended, Murray has spoken out whether he’ll join Team Canada for the 2024 Olympics or not. In an article posted on Eurohoops, the Nuggets star has given his answer.
“Commenting on such a great appointment, he confirmed his will to participate. “I’m excited to be there”, he said to Eurohoops. “We have a great squad, was great to see them win a medal [at the 2023 FIBA World Cup]. Hopefully, we can go our way and win gold this summer”, he also commented.
Touching on Canada’s potential, he expressed excitement underlining the national team’s underrated assets. “I’m excited to see the group we have. We’ve got so many underrated guys on the team, that you don’t really pay attention to, who can impact the game in many ways”, the article stated.
As it stands, the addition of the Nuggets All-Star to the team makes them a formidable foe to face in the Olympics. Powerhouse teams, such as the United States, Serbia, and Germany, will have to increase their respective efforts to win the gold medal.
The Paris Olympics is scheduled to happen on the end of July until the first week of August this year. Until then, a lot of eyes will be on Murray and Team Canada to see how far they’ll go in the coming months.
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