Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was unstoppable against the Lakers in Saturday’s Game 3 victory, running up a 37-point tab as Denver extended its series lead to 3–0. Murray has been a key cog for the Nuggets for several years now, but there was a time when he was questioning his future in Denver.
After Game 3 on Saturday, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone shared an eye-opening conversation he had with Murray after he’d missed 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 “damaged goods.”
I asked Michael Malone about Jamal Murray, who was fire in human form tonight, and he said the day after Murray’s injury, Murray looked at him with tears in his eyes & asked if the Nuggets were going to trade him bc he was ‘damaged goods’. Malone says he told Murray “you’re ours”
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 21, 2023
"Not only are you gonna come back, you're gonna be better."
— NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2023
Denver head coach Michael Malone on what he told Jamal Murray after his injury in 2021 🔊#NBAConferenceFinals presented by @GooglePixel_US pic.twitter.com/EqOlQvBVp4
“I remember being in the bus with him ... and he had tears in his eyes, and that was the message. ‘Hey man, you’re gonna come back from this. And not only are you going to come back, you’re going to be better,’” said Malone.
“I hugged him and said, ‘Hell no, you’re ours. We love you, we’re going to help you get back, and you’re going to be a better player for it,” said Malone, when Murray asked if the Nuggets were going to trade him.
Murray was sidelined a total of 555 days after tearing his ACL during the 2020-21 season. He returned at the start of the 2022-23 campaign, and featured in 65 games for the Nuggets this season, leaving no doubt about his place in the rotation and 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 a +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 three-point range in the Western Conference finals against the Lakers, and he’ll look to continue his sensational postseason play when Denver looks to close out a series sweep on Monday night.
