Jamal Murray leaves the Canadian men's basketball team practice at the OVO Athletic Centre in Toronto, Monday, Aug. 5, 2019.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
TORONTO – Jamal Murray is enjoying maintaining a winning mentality, even through the off-season.
The Denver Nuggets guard and newly-minted NBA champion from Kitchener, Ont., is in training camp this week with the Canadian men’s senior basketball team after wrapping up his NBA season on June 13. The team is preparing for the upcoming FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup.
“It’s fun to just have that mindset year-round,” he said. “It’s tough obviously to mentally endure all that intensity but that’s what make sports, sports.
“And competing and we love to compete each other, even when we’re tired we get after it and we make each other better and push each other. So that’s what’s special about this group, no matter what day, doesn’t matter how our bodies feel, we’re here on the court working and pushing each other to the max.”
Murray has also been relishing life as a champion over the past six weeks.
“Just enjoying the wave right now,” he said. “It’s my first time back home so good to see the (family), good to be around the guys. I’m like speechless. It’s hard to describe everything, everything’s like a roller-coaster, and it’s been a good one.”
“Honestly it’s like “¦ a constant trend up and every day is something different. Everybody’s saying “champ,” it don’t get old,” he added when asked when it hit him. “I always realize what we accomplished. We did something special and no one can ever take that away.”
Murray – donning the No. 4 jersey and at times even taking left-handed free throws – was the last player practising before speaking to reporters Wednesday at the OVO Athletic Centre.
The Canadian squad started camp Tuesday and finishes up Sunday in preparation for the World Cup, which runs from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.
The 15th-ranked Canadians open Group H play at the 32-team tournament on Aug. 25 against France, followed by Lebanon on Aug. 27 and Latvia on Aug. 29 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The final phase of the tournament will be played in Manila, Philippines.
Canada needs a top-two finish among the Americas squads at the 32-team tournament to secure its first Olympic berth since 2000 for Paris 2024.
Murray said he is ready to bring his championship mentality to the team.
“Just bring it every day. The guys have known me, they know when I’m playing, I’m playing,” he said. “I’m trying to leave it all out there no matter what it is and a lot of guys that we have are like that.
“So just bringing that intensity and bringing the focus, challenging guys offensively and defensively and just having fun with the game.”
For head coach Jordi Fernandez – who was an assistant coach for the Nuggets during Murray’s first six of seven NBA seasons – he’s happy to have Murray, and his clutch factor, along for the ride.
“I mean, I think that trust is something that you build over time, right? And six years, both of us together, you build those relationships,” said Fernandez, who is currently an assistant for the Sacramento Kings. “Sometimes it goes up, sometimes it goes down, but that’s how you get close.
“I’m happy that we’re doing it. I’m happy that he’s wearing this jersey and representing what we all want to do, right? And at the same time, he’s just a part of this team. A big part of it but a part, like we all are.”
Murray was quick to laud Fernandez when asked of his thoughts on him.
“That’s my guy,” he said. “Great guy, great dude, responsible, honest, fun to be around, you know, and he knows his stuff.”
Something of great importance, however, will be maintaining Murray’s health with such a short turnaround.
Murray himself admitted his “pace is a little bit different than everybody else right now” and that it’ll be a process to be game ready again.
General manager Rowan Barrett told reporters Tuesday that although Murray will need to take part in exhibition games leading up to the World Cup, the team will have to be cautious with Murray.
“We need to be smart with him,” Barrett said.
“We’ve got to really watch him and work with the therapy team and make the right decision for him medically as well but it looks good so far.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2023.
