pips guard jamal murray was unstoppable against him lakers on Saturday game 3 win, racking up a 37-point chip as Denver extended their series lead to 3-0. Murray has been a key player for the Nuggets for several years, but there was a time when his future in Denver was in question.
After Game 3 on Saturday, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone shared an eye-opening conversation he had with Murray after missing the entire 2021-22 season with a torn ACL.
Malone said that the day after Murray’s knee injury, the star guard asked his coach if the organization was going to trade him because he was a “damaged product.”
I asked Michael Malone about Jamal Murray, who was fire in human form tonight, and he said that the day after Murray’s injury, Murray tearfully looked at him and asked if the Nuggets were going to trade him because he was ” damaged goods”. ‘. Malone says he told Murray “you’re ours”
—Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 21, 2023
"You’re not only going to come back, you’re going to be better."
Denver head coach Michael Malone on what he said to Jamal Murray after his injury in 2021 🔊#NBAConferenceFinals presented by @GooglePixel_ES pic.twitter.com/EqOlQvBVp4
—NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2023
“I remember being on the bus with him…and he had tears in his eyes, and that was the message. ‘Hey man, you’re coming back from this. And you’re not just going to come back, you’re going to be better,’” Malone said.
“I hugged him and said, ‘Hell no, you’re ours. We love you, we’ll help you get back on your feet and you’ll be a better player for it,” Malone said, when Murray asked if the Nuggets would trade him.
Murray was sidelined for a total of 555 days after tearing his ACL during the 2020-21 season. He returned at the start of the 2022-23 season and played in 65 games for the Nuggets this season, leaving no doubt about his place in the rotation and his future with the franchise.
He was anything but damaged goods on Saturday, as he scored a game-high 37 points on 15-of-29 shooting, including 30 in the first half. Murray led the Nuggets with +18 plus-minus, providing six assists and seven rebounds in the win.
The 26-year-old is averaging 35 points and shooting 45.5 percent from 3-point range in the Western Conference finals against the Lakers, and will look to continue his sensational postseason play when Denver looks to wrap up a sweep at the series on Monday. evening.
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