The Denver Nuggets team has been on cloud nine for the past few months. And why not? They won the 2023 NBA title led by the brilliant Nikola Jokic. Safe to say, they have enjoyed their offseason. Various clips of Jokic have emerged on the internet which show the Serbian having the time of his life in his home country. Not only the 2-time MVP, but his teammate Jamal Murray has also taken some time off from basketball.

The 26-year-old was recently spotted with his friend, who happens to be a UFC champion. Interestingly, they also indulged in a friendly bout.

Jamal Murray attempts to fight off UFC champion

Alexander Volkanovski, the UFC’s current featherweight champion, has quite a connection with the NBA world. A few months ago, Volkanovski was spotted with none other than Shaquille O’Neal himself in Las Vegas.

Interestingly, the UFC champ was with Murray during this time. Taking on his iconic ‘DJ Diesel’ avatar, O’Neal grooved along with the crowd while playing some of his hits. Months after this unexpected linkup, Murray and Volkanovski are back again. This time, the two indulged in a friendly match just weeks ahead of the NBA training camp. 

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Volkanovski almost put Jamal Murray in a chokehold. However, the Canadian basketball star was skilled enough to break out of it in the final moments of the bout. 

The two athletes became good friends in August when the 2023 NBA champion was visiting Sydney for UFC 293. After the event, Murray and Volkanovski indulged in a training session.

Nikola Jokic and Murray have something special to look forward to

Murray was drafted as the 7th overall pick during the 2016 NBA draft. He had 5 different seasons before picking up a heartbreaking  ACL injury during the 2021-22 season.

After missing out on a lot of basketball action, Murray returned with a redemption in 2023. He instantly hit a connection with Jokic last season, leading the Nuggets to their first NBA title. Going into the 2024 season, the Nuggets are still one favorite to win the NBA championship. They have retained most of their team from last season and might secure ultimate glory considering their core players stay healthy.

What are your predictions for the 2024 NBA season? Let us know in the comments below.

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