Jamal Murray is a superstar on the basketball court, but more importantly, he is an amazing human being. After scoring 50 points to help the Denver Nuggets force a Game 7 against the Utah Jazz, Murray gave one of the most amazing postgame speeches you will ever hear.
“In life, you find things that hold value to you, things to fight for. We found something worth fighting for,” Murray said during his postgame interview. “I use these shoes as a symbol to me to keep fighting.”
The shoes that Murray is referring to feature pictures of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, both of whom were killed in horrendous displays of police brutality and social injustice.
This is about more than just basketball. This is about more than Denver forcing a Game 7 against Utah. This is about what is going on in our country and how we all have to be better to help make a change. Murray is preaching the same every chance he can get.
Let’s rewind to just a few months ago when COVID-19 really struck the country: the Nuggets put together a series of player interviews with the media so they can check up on how everyone was doing. I will never forget the interview we did with Murray because once the interview was completed, he asked the media a question and sought out answers, which was something I had never seen before.
Murray went on to ask the Nuggets media if they had any experiences with racial injustice, and everyone was able to share their story and share their experiences. Murray did the same by sharing a couple of stories that he has sadly dealt with throughout his life regarding police and social injustice.
It was such a powerful moment for me and is a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life. To hear what everyone had gone through really opened my eyes on the issues surrounding this country, and Murray was the one who brought that revelation to life.
Murray has done the exact same thing in the bubble, keeping the focus on George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake, and other injustices the country has faced. It really makes me proud to be a Denver Nuggets fan. Murray has not only played incredible, but his voice off the court has been even more impactful. It has really made fans proud to have someone like him on the team they support. Just an incredible human being.
Of course, Murray has also been special on the court. In the Nuggets past three games, Murray has scored a combined 142 points on 52-of-81 shooting from the field (64 percent) and has shot 22-of-35 from three (62 percent).
Those numbers are absolutely insane, and his series stats get even crazier. In the six games between the Nuggets and Jazz, Murray is now averaging 34 points, 6.7 assists, and 6,2 rebounds a game. Murray is doing all that while shooting 58 percent from the field and 57 percent from three-point range.
The confidence Murray is playing with is rubbing off on the rest of his teammates, so much so that Denver have made this a series when all seemed lost. After going down 3-1 and with the season in dire straights, Murray has willed the Nuggets to a spot where they believe they can actually come back and win this series.
Momentum is a powerful thing, and Murray has willed the Nuggets into possessing all of it right now. Add in what Murray is doing off the floor and how much he has grown as a leader, it only makes the Nuggets that much more dangerous moving forward.
“He’s playing amazing. Not just scoring wise. His energy, his leadership,” Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic said regarding Murray during his postgame interview. “He’s playing at a superstar level.”
Jokic is 100% correct. Murray is playing at a superstar level, which makes you even more excited for what he might have in store for us in Game 7. If the past few games are any indication, it is going to be something pretty special.
