Nuggets fans aren’t exactly focused on the Olympics or international basketball at the moment, but it was pretty noteworthy that Jamal Murray failed to give Team Canada a necessary three-year commitment and will not play in the 2027 FIBA World Cup or the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
It’s a bit odd that Rowan Barrett and Gordie Herbert are still looking for this three-year commitment, now that the team is so established, but that has been a mandatory commitment for any players to play in bigger tournaments. Jamal wasn’t willing to commit. And so now, he’ll miss out.
For fans of Team Canada, fans of Murray, and fans of international basketball in general, this is a total bummer. Canada has developed into a bit of a basketball power, winning a Bronze Medal at the 2023 World Cup. They had massive expectations entering the 2024 Olympics, but fell flat in the quarterfinals, a very disappointing result.
They are gearing up for a bounce-back during this next cycle around players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillon Brooks, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Benedict Mathurin, and others, but they’ll be doing so without Murray.
Nuggets fans should be happy Murray won’t be adding offseason mileage
However, if anything, this may be good news for the Nuggets. Murray hasn’t exactly been the picture of health and durability during his career, and the last time he played in the Olympics, he looked hurt and exhausted by the end of the tournament.
Especially as he’s about to enter his 30s and about to start year two of a 4-year, $208 million max contract, Murray must take care of his body, get plenty of rest and rehabilitation during the offseason, and preserve these last few years of the prime of his NBA career. And sadly, one of the best ways to do that is likely by not putting extra miles on his body during offseasons, playing in high-leverage games for Team Canada.
It’s a shame that it had to come to this, and that Murray won’t be able to take part in what could be a special era for Canadian basketball. But it’s also great to see that Jamal seems to be prioritizing what matters most - at least to Nuggets fans - and making sure that he can be at his best for his employer, the Denver Nuggets.
This is no small sacrifice, and while it stinks to think about him not being there, if the Nuggets are able to get healthy and put it all together and win another title in the next few years, we may be looking back at this decision as a big part of the reason why.
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