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Jamal Murray Reveals Three NBA Players Who Massively Impacted His Game

Published 10/18/2020, 1:30 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Jamal Murray proved to be one of the best players in the NBA Bubble. The explosive Denver Nuggets guard called games with his buzzer-beaters and guided his team to their first conference final in over a decade. So who did Murray model his game after?

Of course, every aspiring baller would have a set of inspirations in mind. It should be said that Michael Jordan set the standard with his impeccable record. Several kids grew up holding MJ as their hero, and Jamal Murray was one of them. 

Jamal Murray shaped his game after Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan

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Murray averaged 26.5 points and 6.6 assists in the 2020 NBA playoffs and posted incredible numbers to mark his name as one of the best. The Nuggets star has undoubtedly announced his talent to the world, and it was his father who groomed him to become the mentally tough player that he is now. 

“My dad was a big fan of MJ, a big fan of Kobe and we used to watch all the tapes and just watch the mental you know the mental side of it,” Murray said in an interview with Ashley Nevel.

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“When Kobe’s on the court and he has that look, you almost have a feeling. You just know they’re going to win the game you know they’re going to come back you know he’s going to do something crazy.”

“He has that look, he has that fearlessness and nothing’s gonna stop him from getting and he kind of puts on his shoulders to go do that. He shows it and he trusts his ability so I kind of modeled my mental aspect of Bruce Lee of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan of Kobe of that kind of ‘Go at it go get it go win the game’ type of attitude,” he added.

Murray’s Top 3 in the NBA

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Over the years, we’ve seen several Top 10 charts come our way. Writers tend to draft a list of the best ever to play in the league. All of us have our opinions and explanations for it. Likewise, Jamal Murray delivered when asked to name the players who impacted him the most.

From the above-mentioned comments, it is no secret that he adores Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Thus, they automatically gain entry into Murray’s Top 3 list. But who is the third? Here’s a hint: Murray is Canadian, and this player is a legend in the Toronto area! 

“I was more of a Jordan fan than a Kobe fan,” Murray said when asked about the players who influenced him the most. “And I like Vince carter a lot. I say those three: MJ, Kobe, and Vince.”

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There you have it! Jamal Murray’s three influential players in the league. They’re no longer in the NBA. and Murray has now taken the responsibility of replicating their success in the current era. He has a promising road ahead, but can Murray win a ring before he retires? 

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Written by:

Arjun Athreya

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.
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