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2 Years Before “Fire In Human Form”, Teary-Eyed Nuggets Star Jamal Murray Felt Like “Damaged Goods” Reveals 2x NBA All-Star Coach

Published 05/21/2023, 5:30 AM EDT

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Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray has been making headlines ever since his scoring outburst in the postseason. Moreover, it reminded fans of the Canadian star’s unstoppable run during the Orlando Bubble two years ago, which earned him the nickname Bubble Murray. However, things came crashing down for the star when he suffered a torn ACL the next season and eventually missed 18 months of action. Meanwhile, the Nuggets’ head coach, Michael Malone, revealed his emotional conversation with Murray post the injury after Saturday night’s massive success in Los Angeles. 

The 26-year-old star has been one of the leading offensive pillars of the Denver side alongside Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic. Currently, he is averaging 27.9 points in 14 postseason games this year. Moreover, the Nuggets will look to sweep the Western Conference Finals series against the Los Angeles Lakers as they lead by 3-0.

Jamal Murray shared an emotional moment with Michael Malone in 2021

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Jamal Murray raised the bar with his fierce performances in the bubble in 2020. However, the career-altering injury during the 2020-21 season put immense pressure on the star to get back on his feet again. 

Two years after the injury, the Nuggets’ head coach, Malone, shed some light on Murray’s psyche on his road to recovery and an emotional conversation during the post-game press conference on Saturday. When a teary-eyed Murray asked, “I am damaged goods, you guys are gonna trade me now,” the 2x NBA All-Star Coach hugged him and replied, “Hell no, you are ours. We love you and we are gonna help you get back.”

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Moreover, NBA host and presenter, Rachel Nichols, also tweeted about her conversation with Malone. The tweet read, “Jamal Murray, who was fire in human form tonight… Murray looked at him [Malone] with tears in his eyes & asked if the Nuggets were going to trade him because he was ‘damaged goods’. Malone says he told Murray ‘you’re ours.’”

Murray stole the show yet again in Game 3 with a magnificent performance. He continued his hot shooting streak by scoring 30 of the Nuggets’ 58 first-half points. While he cooled off a little in the second half, his presence and form allowed his teammates to get great looks and they kept knocking them down as the Nuggets won 118-109.

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During the press conference, Malone further spoke about Murray’s mindset to recover from the injury and succeed with his own performances. The whole city of Denver must feel great seeing Murray back to his best after the horrific injury two years ago.

Murray’s career-altering injury

In April 2021, Murray suffered an ACL tear during the final minutes of a game against the Golden State Warriors. Murray’s fantastic season came to an end and set him on a long road to recovery. Notably, the star had a similar injury in the season prior to the bubble, but it wasn’t as serious as a torn ACL. 

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While injuries usually lead to a diminishing effect on a player’s performance, the Nuggets star proved it wrong with his comeback. The Nuggets are one victory away from reaching the franchise’s first-ever NBA Finals in June. 

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What do you make of the heart-touching conversation between Jamal Murray and Michael Malone in 2021? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Shahul Hameed

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Shahul Hameed is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports, where he brings his passion for sports and entertainment journalism to life. With a Master's Degree in journalism from a reputed institute and years of experience in the industry, Shahul always strives to provide insightful and astute coverage of the NBA to the fans. Shahul's love for sports writing dates back to his college days.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth