It’s always cool to see NBA stars show love for each other after an epic playoff battle. It’s probably even better when a younger star like the Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray shows so much respect for an all-time great like LeBron James.
After Murray ferociously dunked on James and made another game-winning shot in an emotional performance to help the Nuggets advance to the second round, the 27-year-old point guard couldn’t help but heap praise on James, who has been utterly exceptional for two decades and was flat-out superb while trying to take down the reigning NBA champions.
In his post-game press conference, Murray mentioned that he watched James as a kid while growing up in Kitchener, Canada. He had his Cleveland Cavaliers jersey and appreciated watching James do his thing. Murray made sure to highlight James’ legendary buzzer-beater game-winner during the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, which was the moment the basketball legend became one of his all-time favorite players.
This is so, so cool, man:
"When I was a little kid… I was wearing his jersey… he's been one of my favorite players for a time"
– Murray on the respect and honor of going up against LeBron James pic.twitter.com/EeKfpYdHaI
— NBA (@NBA) April 30, 2024
Here’s what Murray had to say about one of the best moments of James’ career in full:
“I remember when I was a little kid, and he [James] was playing against Orlando [Magic] and he was in Cleveland [Cavaliers],” Murray started. “And I was wearing his [James’] jersey, and my barber was my dad’s best friend, and he got me a jersey for my birthday. I was trying to remember a time I could wear it, and I remember wearing the jersey while he was playing against Orlando and he hit that shot with one second left. I just remember talking to my dad, and I’m a little kid so I don’t know much, saying ‘There’s no way they’re gonna win, there’s no way they’re gonna win.’ Then I just remember him catching it and hitting it and I just remember being out of breath, like I got punched in the gut. I didn’t know to react. He’s been one of my favorite players.”
Here’s that iconic James’ game-winner, oh by the way:
James has been playing for so long and so well that not only is he going toe-to-toe with the best team in NBA basketball at age 39, but he’s also giving one of those team’s younger stars in Murray, an opportunity to talk about how much they inspired him to become a dynamic difference-maker in their own right.
If that isn’t sports poetry, I don’t know what is.
