“Yeah, I mean, that’s just a skill that if I wasn’t playing basketball, I would probably be in [MMA]” Similarly to other NBA stars like Shaquille O’Neal and James Johnson, Jamal Murray has held a special interest in martial arts for quite some while now. From spending time in a training session with former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski to attending a few of the highly anticipated games in person, the Denver Nuggets star publicly displays his love for the sport. Now, after the reported ‘disaster’ that was the Mike Tyson V Jake Paul fight, combat sports enthusiasts could look forward to UFC 309. Amongst guests like President-Elect Trump and Elon Musk, Jamal Murray also made his presence known.

As Jon Jones faced off against Stipe Miocic, Jamal Murray could be seen watching the game from his seat in the crowd-packed arena. He attained the chance to meet up with Kamaru Usman, a former UFC welterweight champion. A viral clip has surfaced showing the duo giving each other their phones, possibly as a way to exchange numbers. Highlighted by the official X handle of NBA on ESPN, the moment was described as “Just a friendly exchange between two champions.” Unfortunately, the sight didn’t appeal to many.

Fans don’t take kindly to the prospect of Jamal Murray making an appearance at UFC 309

Despite possibly being a Denver Nuggets fan, one individual did not choose to spare Jamal Murray over his appearance at the UFC game. He took to the comments section and wrote, “I love Jamal man, but this is such a horrible look. You had an AWFUL game in New Orleans, you play tomorrow night in Memphis, and knowing you have a majority of the fanbase on your neck, you’re in New York for a UFC fight. You’re becoming REAL hard to defend on this brother.” Yikes!

After a disappointing few games, the Denver Nuggets progressed well. They even accumulated a 7-3 win record after going on a 5-game win streak. Unfortunately, the same streak broke after the 101-94 defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans. Since Nikola Jokic was expected to be ‘OUT’ due to ‘personal reasons’, it was up to the other players to step up during the matchup. However, Jamal Murray could only make 16 points during the matchup, accompanied by 6 rebounds and 8 assists. The player lagged with his shooting, as he made 6-16 (37.5%) field goals, and 2-5 (25%) three-pointers. Additional to his 2-2 (100%) free throws. Michael Porter Jr let the offensive effort with his 24 points. However, a better contribution from Murray and other players could have improved the Denver Nuggets’ chances.

The above-mentioned commentator was still reserved in his criticism. One social media user did not choose to hold back any punches. He wrote “Jamal murray you are a pathetic excuse for a basketball player. THAT MENTALLY IMPAIRED imbecile booth gave you a contract extension when he didn’t need to and successfully managed to close what little chance we had at competing for a championship.” Wow, oh wow!

The ‘mentally impaired imbecile booth’ was a reference to Calvin Booth, the current General Manager of the Denver Nuggets. The former player turned management executive had displayed confidence in Jamal Murray’s extension deal earlier. He stated, “The Olympics are a big deal. I think having him focus on that and getting through that, and when he gets back, and that concludes, I think it’ll be pretty easy. I don’t think it’ll be much of a negotiation.” As Booth predicted, the player signed a four-year, $208 million extension a month after the Paris Olympics. Given the Nuggets’ previous string of losses, including the most recent one, questions would certainly be raised now on whether the amount set to be paid to the player is worth it.

People didn’t just descend onto X to share their reactions. A few of them even took to Instagram after NBA on ESPN highlighted the clip there too. Another individual took a shot at Murray over his recent performances, stating “Jamal Murray got his bag and forgot how to play basketball (laughing emoji) he already reached his peak and is slowly regressing as the games go on (man facepalming emoji).”

Jamal Murray’s performance has recorded a decline when compared to the previous season. While he had averaged 21.2 points during the 2023-24 tournament, he has currently made 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists over the course of 8 games. His field goal percentage has improved from 37.9% to 42.1% when comparing his games in October and November. His three-pointers have also seen an upward spike, going from 29.6% to 35%.

One individual commented, “bro is literally anywhere but the gym”, accompanied by a ‘Victory Hand’ emoji. With less than a day before the Grizzlies matchup, however, the 27-year-old point guard’s main priority wasn’t exercising.

Another social media user took a dig at Jamal Murray’s performance. He wrote “He needs to move back to his dad’s place so the man can make him hoop properly again.” Jamal Murray’s father, Roger Murray, was a track and field athlete who later transitioned to basketball. During an interview with the Denver Post back in 2017, Roger recalled placing focus on Jamal’s form by emphasizing free throws and jump shots. Through the approach that he dubbed “Mental Kung Fu”, Roger wanted to emphasize the mental and physical aspect of basketball.

Overall, the majority of reactions were negative towards Jamal Murray. It is not as if other NBA players didn’t watch the UFC fight either. Kevin Durant tweeted referencing the fight, stating “Jonny Jones. The greatest.” Jamal Murray’s issue was that he made a live appearance at a fight, which doesn’t seem to have played well with the NBA fanbase.