Nuggets guard Jamal Murray won’t play for Team Canada in the 2023 World Cup, Canada Basketball announced today on its official website.
Murray reported to training camp for the Canadian national team, but his status for the FIBA World Cup was always considered to be up in the air due to his lengthy postseason run in Denver this spring. He was ruled out for Canada’s first few exhibition games in Germany and now won’t be part of the squad that travels to Indonesia to begin its group play schedule on August 25.
“When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup,” Murray said in a statement. “In consultation with medical staff and the team, it is clear that additional recovery is required, and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament.
“It’s still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics, and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal.”
Canada would qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris – and give Murray a chance to suit up for the club next summer – by placing as one of the top two teams from the Americas in the World Cup. Obviously, Team USA will be Canada’s top competition in that field, but several others – the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil – will be vying for one of those top two spots.
Although the Canadian team – led by NBA players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, and Luguentz Dort – is a deep and talented one, the group doesn’t have much experience playing together in international competitions, so clinching an Olympic berth next month is far from a lock. The first step will be reaching the knockout stage of the tournament with a top-two finish in a group that also features France, Latvia, and Lebanon.
Not unexpected. Unfortunately Canada doesn’t have the depth of US basketball (like all countries) but I’d love to see how far Canada could go with a full roster in the next few years.
Take a break champ. Without you hitting all those shots against weak competition, Denver wouldn’t of won against weak playoffs teams
What weak competition are you referring?
*wouldn’t HAVE won against weak competition.
I suppose you’re used to being wrong, though, since you used both incorrect grammar and were factually incorrect more than once in the same sentence.
I love this stupid narrative. The Nuggets needed Murray to hit all those shots to beat “weak competition,” like the rest of the Nuggets (Jokic — a top 3 player on the plane — plus Brown, Gordon, etc.) didn’t play exceptional complementary basketball all season long to run through the Western conference and the Finals.
The Nuggets had an easier first-round matchup because that’s the perk of being the top seed — no team’s championship path ever gets discounted for soundly beating a team they were supposed to beat.
Then, the Suns, a team with multiple future HOFers — sure sounds like “weak competition” to me.
And then drubbing the Lakers, also a team with multiple future HOFers. Yet more “weak competition.”
Finally, the Heat, yet another organization with HOF talent in Butler, but also HOF coaching and executives in Spo and Pat Riley, respectively. So “weak.”
“Paper champions” earn it on the hardwood. Respect is due where it’s earned. Ask anyone the Nuggets beat on their way to the title if they didn’t earn it, but I doubt you’ll hear anything because they know how well the Nuggets played last season.
History shows it, too.
At minimum, there’s a decent chance the Nuggets would have repeated had Murray not missed the 21-22 season
Just shine that ring. Get ready for the real season …….. champ