Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray knows something about winning basketball. After guiding his team to an NBA title in 2023, Murray, as a member of Team Canada's men's basketball squad, is pursuing an Olympic gold medal but also understands the importance of sacrificing for the betterment of a team.
Therefore, when Canada's head coach, Jordi Fernandez, elected to bring Jamal Murray off the bench for a second consecutive game in place of starting, Murray understood the assignment and didn't fret over his fellow teammate Lu Dort receiving the nod as the team's starting point guard alongside Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett, among others.
The Canadians defeated Australia 93-83 on Tuesday and are now 2-0 in Group A of the 2024 Olympics.
“I'm feeling great. Obviously, I was away from the team for a while. So, I'm not starting, but we're a bunch of selfless guys that don't need all of that,” Murray said, per CBC Olymics' Ariel Helwani. “I think we have a great starting unit. Lu's doing his thing, Dillon's playing amazing. Obviously, Shai, Dwight, RJ, so, guys come in; everybody has their role. You saw Jayson Tatum didn't play a single minute. Tyrese Haliburton didn't play. I think a lot of guys on other teams are starting for their respective NBA teams. So, it's not an ego thing over here. We're just trying to get the win.
“I think that's why it's a lot of fun because it's a bunch of players from the same country trying to get a win and not worrying about stats or roles.”
Jamal Murray, Canada beats Greece and Australia in Group A
Murray made his Olympic debut in Canada's 86-79 win against Greece. The seven-year pro turned in a subpar performance, finishing with eight points on 2-for-6 attempts, one steal, and three turnovers.
However, he played better in Canada's second 2024 Olympic group-stage matchup. Finishing with seven points on 2-for-7 attempts, Jamal Murray added five assists, three rebounds, two blocks, and had zero turnovers in 22 minutes off the bench against Australia.
“Great win. We need to keep it going,” Murray said after Canada's 93-83 win against Australia Tuesday. “I thought we played hard tonight. That's an extremely tough team that's been together for a while. So, it was a good test for us, and we were able to weather the storms and come up with the win.”
The Canadians, who lead Group A with a 2-0 record and have an opportunity to clinch the quarterfinal round in the 2024 Olympics, will face Spain next.
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