Denver Nuggets star reveals plans to team up with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2024
By Sam LaFrance
Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray revealed that he plans to team up with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander next summer at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The two will fill out the starting backcourt for Team Canada as they push to win their first-ever gold medal at the games.
Murray and the Nuggets were up in Canada on Wednesday to take on the Toronto Raptors and he was asked if he planned to join the team for the competition next summer in Paris. His answer was simple.
"For sure."
Team Canada made their way to the semifinals of last summer's FIBA World Cup, before falling to a Nikola Jokic-less Serbia team.
Even though they didn't go all the way, Murray believes that it was a great accomplishment for the group nonetheless.
“Oh, it was amazing. For everybody, that’s a great accomplishment,” Murray said, per The Toronto Star.
Though he had to miss the competition due to a lingering knee injury, the Nuggets guard was still happy to see his guys perform well on the world stage.
“That’s a country accomplishment. They did it for the country. I still showed up to training camp. I was still around the guys. I felt the vibe there. And they did a great job. And I think we’re on the come-up and we’ve got enough guys to go out there and compete for gold next year.”
Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray is excited to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander thriving this season
Murray's Nuggets squad seems to be on a collision course with Gilgeous-Alexanders young OKC team. The two sides are neck-and-neck in the Western Conference standings with the Thunder slotted at second above Denver who are in third.
A playoff series would be fun for sure, but for now Murray is just happy to see Gilgeous-Alexander hooping.
“Amazing. Amazing. Playing really well — on both ends of the floor, as well, which I think most people talk about (offense only),” Murray said of SGA. “He’s just always aggressive, He’s always a threat out there every time you guard them. And so it’s nice to watch him lead the team and team Canada getting that bronze.”
On Dec. 16 Gilgeous-Alexander sank a game-winner to top the Nuggets in a 118-117 thriller. The teams will square off again next Friday in Denver.