(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The NBA is more global now than ever, which means Team USA isn’t the only powerhouse in the game anymore.
They found that out the hard way — again — in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, even if other teams weren’t at full strength.
That includes the Canadian national team, which had to get by without Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray, who decided to skip the competition as he restored his body ahead of this campaign.
But now that he’s fully healthy, the reigning NBA champion just confirmed to the media that he fully intends to suit up and play in the upcoming Paris Olympics (via Josh Lewenberg).
Jamal Murray reiterates that (if healthy) his plan is to play for Canada in Paris this summer. “For sure. For sure.” pic.twitter.com/TE1U83ZAlT
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 21, 2023
Murray had played a very long season, making it all the way to the NBA Finals, so it wasn’t much of a shock to see him and Nikola Jokic deciding not to partake in the competition.
The Olympics, however, are just a different animal, and no player can resist the urge to pursue a medal.
Team USA will reportedly send some big names, a team led by the likes of Stephen Curry and LeBron James, in an attempt to get back to the mountaintop.
But they won’t have an easy path to the finals as they usually do.
Serbia, with Nikola Jokic, will also be a force to be reckoned with, and Dennis Schroder’s Germany team just shocked the world by taking home the gold just months ago.
The beautiful game is global, and it’s nice to see how narrow the gap between other teams has become over the past couple of years.
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