Nuggets' Jamal Murray reveals 'military' household shaped him

Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray discusses his upbringing and how it allowed him to excel in high-pressure situations.

Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray never seems to get enough credit. However, that problem seems to elude him, as the 26-year-old spoke to Showtimes Rachel Nichols about how his upbringing has contributed to his current success.

“I think it's a lot of mental toughness,” Murray says. “I acknowledge it. I'm able to have a really bad half and then reset, come back in the second half, flip flop and just be effective… I think that stemmed from the base and the core that I grew up in.”

“So almost like a military-like household… very disciplined in myself and knew what it took to bounce back and the belief that I have to have in myself and the confidence. Just that's where all that stems from, just having the confidence…”

"I think it's a lot of mental toughness… I think that stemmed from [growing up] in a military-like household."

Jamal Murray on how his upbringing plays a huge part in where he is today 🔥

(via @Rachel__Nichols)pic.twitter.com/MeLvQArAnn

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 2, 2023

“This is what I've been doing,” the Ontario native says. “… Playing basketball on ice, in the cold, hands freezing… didn't affect me.”

Murray has been excellent throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs, with his patient and methodical playstyle meshes well with 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The seventh overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Murray has averaged 27.6 points, 6.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, with 48.1-39.2-92.8 shooting splits.

Clearly, Roger Murray — the father of the Nuggets star — had the right idea in mind when he not only put Murray through drills that he designed, but also kung fu-related exercises as well (per SportsNet's Gare Joyce).

To say the training regimen is the only reason that Murray has broken out in the NBA would do a disservice to his work since then, especially since entering the league. Nonetheless, Murray does play with a cool, calm and collected style that's almost rare for a wing in a league filled with highly explosive athletes. One that's been crucial to Denver's success.