“In My Ears”: Jamal Murray Unveils Father Roger As His ‘Real’ Critique, Beyond a Sideline Motivator

The Denver Nuggets started their title defense in dominant fashion, winning their first-round matchup against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Jamal Murray played an integral role, scoring two game winning shots in that series. However, his form and the Nuggets’ title defense hit a roadblock against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Conference Semifinals. Surprisingly, the T-Wolves jumped to a 2-0 series lead, that too at Denver’s home fortress.

Therefore, Game 3 of their Conference Semis matchup with the T-Wolves was a must-win for the Nuggets. And boy, did their stars step up for this crucial game. Nikola Jokić ended the night with a box score which read: 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists. And Jamal Murray? Well, he was on fire too, dropping a game-high 24 points and dishing out five assists. But even though Murray had a standout performance, what really grabbed fans’ attention was his halftime conversation with his father, Roger Murray.

Following Denver’s blowout 117-90 win, reporters quizzed Jamal Murray about his halftime conversation with his father. He replied by saying, “Every halftime that he’s at the game, I talk to him. I’ll be talking about different things. Sometimes it’s keep doing what I’m doing, sometimes he’s telling me what are you doing. So obviously, having that real criticism in my ears is always helpful.”

Jamal Murray shares a very close bond with his father. In fact, Murray ran straight to his father to celebrate after Denver’s first-round victory this season. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Jamal Murray seeks advice from his father because Roger Murray has played an important role in Jamal’s journey to the very pinnacle of basketball.

Roger Murray’s impact on Jamal Murray’s career

Back in 2021, Jamal Murray tore his ACL. A grueling 6-7 months recovery and rehabilitation took place in order to get back to match fitness. However, in less than two years, Murray reached the very pinnacle of basketball, as he led the Nuggets to their first title in franchise history. So, what makes Jamal so headstrong? The answer might not surprise you – it’s the tough training regimen his father put him through during his formative years.

During a 2017 interview with the Denver Post, Roger recounted the drills he put Jamal through during his childhood. He said, “In the early days, we used to always work on his form with free throws and jump shots… I told him he had to make 30 in a row. So he’s 7 years old, and he has to make 30 in a row. There’s some frustration and some pressure.”

Inspired by Bruce Lee and guided by books on Kung Fu, Roger revealed to have helped his son with physical and mental strengthening alongside a focus on pain tolerance. “I tried to show him that pain is something we all go through, that it’s a part of life,” Roger iterated in a Bleacher Report on his tight regime.

Though Roger felt he was pushing his too much, it’s these exact drills that have made Jamal Murray so resilient in the face of adversity. Even a tough ACL injury, which could really set back a guard’s career, hasn’t put much of a dent in his NBA journey.