Born in Canada in 1997, he grew up influenced by his father… and Bruce Lee. He fell in love with basketball and was one of the figures of the Nuggets, which would lead to the first title in their history.
Jamal Murray He is one of the great figures of nba. In Denver Nuggetsis one of the protagonists of swept the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference finals and now he will face Miami Heat in the finals for the title. The 26-year-old Canadian has a particular story: skilled in meditation and kung fu, he also has a past as an ice hockey goalie.
Jamal Murray’s father, meditation and kung fu
Jamal Murray was born on February 23, 1997 in Kitchener, Ontario, in Canada. It’s too small, and under the influence of his fatherhe began to prepare his mind for the demands of the future, even if he did not know it.
“Learning to meditate is one of my earliest memories”ever expressed in The Players Tribune. It was at the age of four, his father would sit him on the sofa and try to calm him down while he made faces and other graces to make him laugh, while Jamal had to maintain control and not react. “The goal is not to pretend I’m not there, it’s to clear my mind and realize everything that’s happening around me,” stated. Over time they started doing it in public places. “I felt that I was developing a special muscle that no one could see. Without knowing it I was training,” added.
On the other hand, found a great passion in kung fu movies. He is a fanatic of the moves, the fights and the abilities of the main characters. But it’s not just for fun. “The best part of watching them with my dad was the conversations they had.. ‘See how good his balance is?’ he always focuses on really specific things like that. Everyone has a lesson”, explained. One of the great references is Bruce Leewhere he focused “His footwork, his patience. How he uses his mind to defeat the opponent. The mental side of martial arts is what my father enjoyed”complete.
From ice hockey to blindfolded free throws
In Canada, one of the strongest sports is ice hockey. yes okJamal Murray didn’t learn to skate, he played goalie, where it stands. however, The current Denver Nuggets point guard’s focus has been on basketball since its inception. “I used to take a ball with me to school and bounce it between my legs the whole way. I even slept with the ball several times,” he told The Players Tribune.
This is how he started training in the patio of his house, always with kung fu as a base, “My dad would always play a little kung fu in our training. He put a blindfold on me. At first I didn’t want to but he explained that it’s like that when he’s in charge,” he said later. “I was shooting free throws blindly while my dad grabbed rebounds and yelled things in my ear to distract me. Not many were going in.”he continued.
After letting him shoot with his eyes open, he blindfolded him again so he could shoot again. “The more we did it, the more comfortable it became not having to rely on my eyes. When my dad tried to distract me, he was just wasting time. I could see the hoop on my head.”he explained. Later, all that training allowed him to stay focused in the important moments.
In a semifinal game in his city, he used meditation before the game and, at the end, He was the key to tie the game with a triple and, with seconds left, he stole the ball, shot almost from half court and gave his team the win. “Looking back, I think how calm I was. My mind wasn’t racing. I was focused.”he concluded.
His successful transition to Kentucky and his arrival in the NBA
After graduation, Jamal Murray traveled to Lexington to attend the University of Kentucky. He spent only one season with the team and broke a tremendous number of records as a freshman. He played 36 games and averaged 20 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1 steal in 35.2 minutes per game. At the end of that season, on June 24, 2016 He was selected 7th in the NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets.
His performance increased, until in April 2021, he suffered torn ligaments, a severe injury that kept him out of the courts for a long time. and fully return for the 2022-23 season. The Nuggets lead the Western Conference with a record of 53 wins and 29 losses.surpassed Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, defeated the Phoenix Suns 4-2 and swept the Los Angeles Lakers of LeBron James 4-0 in the conference finals. Now they are going for the first title of its history, with a Jamal Murray on.
Source: Tycsports
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