Jamal Murray to Miss 2023 FIBA World Cup to Recover After Nuggets’ NBA Finals Run

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Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray announced he will miss the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup to focus on his continued recovery after Denver’s NBA championship run.

“When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup,” he said Wednesday.

“In consultation with medical staff and the team, it is clear that additional recovery is required, and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament. It’s still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics, and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal.”

Canada opens the World Cup on Aug. 25 against France, while the Nuggets’ playoff run ended June 12 with their Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals. That would’ve left Murray with a relatively quick turnaround, and then he would’ve had roughly a month to get prepared for the 2023-24 regular season.

Denver teammate Nikola Jokić already decided to skip the World Cup to give himself enough rest before stepping back on the court.

Murray gave it an honest go, showing up for training camp with Canada to see where he was physically and whether he might be able to make the trip to Southeast Asia for the tournament.

Coach Jordi Fernández will now have to forge ahead without one of his best players as the Canadians look to earn their first World Cup medal.

The New York Knicks’ RJ Barrett, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Houston Rockets all figure to be key players in that quest. Purdue star Zach Edey, the reigning national player of the year, will help to anchor things inside.