Jamal Murray | Ep 120 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

to the show. Jamal Murray, appreciate, thank you to appreciate you being him looking Jack's ass earlier in college. Dude, I'm still I'm still putting bandages on right man. Knives he threw at my face his motherfucker's beaten jacket in a gun game with a knife. Anyway, Man, Happy New year. Man, let's get right to it. Uh A c O injury? How has how since you went down? How's life been? Kind of basketball for the first time for an extended amount of time has been taken away from you. How's

how how is your world been since it's been different? Um? Definitely a change, so many different emotions, so many things that my first no major injury. That's keept me sideline like this UM senior team out there. You know, not being that competitive spirit never happened. You know, you go to the gym, locking in, you have a routine. You know, I can kind of step with my routine right now and not do whatever, But I gotta have a mental

capacity to be in a competitive mode. So I've just been chilling, working my ass off, um every morning, go to rehab, UM, take care of myself, trying to find a new routine, trying to come back with a new spirit for when the time come. What do you learned, um about yourself in this process again the first time kind of being away from basketball due to a major injury.

What have you learned about yourself? Nothing specific? Did you learn a lot of things when you take a step back, you see things with your perspective when the like when you're in the game, you know when you're in the play. Um, I was comparing things the basketball when when you're in a play, you might not see the help, you might not see what was actually going on. But when you step back and look at film, it's like, Okay, this

is how it's going. So I gonna have like a bigger picture of everything of how I want to come back of how our team is built, of how the league is, how the league is changing, and I'm just taking all those things into consideration for when I come back, and just like I said, come back with a new life and a new spirit. Speaking of coming back, everyone who's gonna watch this, yep, wants to know when is

that going to happen. I'm too far to tell, honestly. Um, I was supposed to start doing contact around this time, coming up soon, so I'll be exciting, But um, too far. So I haven't started playing one on one yet. So yeah, yourself, do you feel like you're ready for contact? I mean, yeah, for sure, But you know, if I do something, I'm

sure for the next three days. So I'm sorry to it's hard to gauge you know what's coming up, But I mean think, I think what's beautiful is obviously we've come so far in medicine and a c L used to be a major injury. It's not a major injury anymore per se because the success rate after this. But you know, we just got a chance to see Clay come back, um Alfhin a c L and Achilles. We saw k D come back and leave the League in

scoring offen Achilles. You know, so I'm excited, especially because you're younger than both those guys, you know what I mean. So as long as you stick with the process Man, and make sure you're fully healthy before you come back, then we're definitely excited to as fans, Man see you out there, rocket Man. Becauld you really I feel like, in the last two two and a half years, like really put yourself on the map man, and and kind

of be taken down in the midst of that. I know that's gonna be, but it's also making you hungry. How hard has it been to see you know, I said, the game is so mental? How hard has it been just kind of having to be around it and watch it and you know know that you know, you guys lose some close games where you would have been there and it would have been a whole another story few

oh man plenty. Um It's it's it's stressful of times. Um. I actually went to Canada for like the holidays, for like five six days just to get away from it, just because it's different when you're you know, like I said, in in Denver all the time and watching the routine and the grind of the season. But when you're not playing, it's a whole different story. And it sucks to watch not watch that, but to watch it every day and go to practice and have to be in the environment

all the time. So it was good for me to go home and take a break and um looking forward to all start baking. I get to go home again, see my family. Click your mind. What has your rehabbing process? It looks like six days a week, seven days, seven or eight days. Um, going in the morning, a lot of lifting, a lot of choal work. UM, just trying to engage my pain with how much I can do. UM. Obviously not rushed nothing, but I'm just trying to get

a feel for my body. UM, feel for it again and make sure it's it's comfortable doing stuff that I used to do, adjusting to them doing gym, doing a windmill, dunk see me out here. I was so for like seventy two hours after that. So getting this first, what you feel like? Yeah, so like I'll have like four good days of good lifting and good you know, good tending.

Um what's it called tenant routine? And you know for those next few days, I'm like, okay, I'm good, like I can basically play um and I'll go do a dunk or two, and then I'm played up playing cole with my leg up some ice. You know, is it your knee or everything around it or I just it's just like simple stuff is difficult, Like you know, going up the stairs. I gotta be conscious about going down the Stairs'm conscious, but because I've been so conscous about

it for so long. So it's just those little things, a little reminders to always keep me my balance because some days I'm like, yo, I can't run up the stairs, trying to take the trash out man, trying to just trying to get up there. And um, yeah, I'd like to give our fans kind of that, you know, that look inside and like you said, things you take for granted, you know, coming back to right the easy stuff. Yeah, that's the only current team. And coach, how you feel

about to have team this year? I think you've done really well all things considered. Um, we have so many guys out, um injuries, COVID, I'm out. Um, it's just been tough. It's been a tough year. That's a big it's a big chunk right there. I'm out. Different sometimes mean you'll cut there. I feel like we have a chance to win anybody. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, y'all prove explain it different between him when you met him to

now the same guy. The same guy, Um, goofy funny. Um. He's just gotten so much more comfortable playing at the pace that he wants to. And he's shown that year after year. Um. And I still think he's the best as you have to come. He just sees the game at at a different level than everybody. Yeah. I can tell he likes to live life. I've seen in the video him to working. Yeah stories, you gotta ask him about that. I don't know. I saw that. What unbelievable. But but he's I mean he to me, he's one

of those unique talents. You know, you would look at him and think okay, but then when he gets out there and plays, I mean, there's there's no holes in this game. When you guard him, you don't know what you're gonna get you, right, you know, if he's gonna post up, spin pass, look you off. At his own pace though he always had his own always sick. Yeah, and he got two brothers, two brothers that are with the ship too. Yeah, they're with the ship. Two brothers

is with the ship. But everybody with the ship though till the ship come. Yeah you know what I mean, Hey, every everybody with the ship and the ship come. Talk about your upbringing? Um in Ontario, your dad was an athlete. Um, Where did you develop your love for sports, in particular basketball? Um,

I'm always very competitive. I think that's where it starts, um with basketball track my two main sports love abouts from from a young and I was playing since before I could walk, and that I just carry that with me. I would go and um no, go across the street after I've done my schoolwork and just play for like six hours, seven hours on the concrete court on double rims. And that was just like my home to me. That

was like my hobby is my only hobby. And uh, I just took that around with it and you could switch on the double room. You got a Jimmy man, man, you know where or two I'll be in the snow as well. I know I hate the code man that I don't like to call it. I'm just used to talk to us about when mental hung foo UM means to your father and steal that to you? Can you speak because obviously so much of this game is mental. Obviously you're going through a physical injury, but it wears

on you mental. What is mental? Hung foo and just durability mentally to be able to go through whatever you're going through. Um. Not to rely on others, um, you know how to rely on yourself. I do a lot of meditation before games, and I want to wake up in the morning or when I'm going through something just like take time to myself and be able to be honest with myself. I take it out of time to look in the mirror and be like honest with myself

and stuff. I want to accomplish how well I've done, how bad it done, um, and just move forward from that moment. I like that. I like that mental kung food. I didn't put some mental kung food on some mother Bucks before my life. Male or female both okay, both have vanessed. A couple of niggas have some bags. It's the women out there on that money. Yeah, you're right, my bad. Uh. What were some of the people you idolized growing up? And some of the people you modeled

may have monited your game after. I've always tried to create my own name, especially come from Canada, you know all these guys with the YouTube mixes in the highlight tapes. I always wanted to create my for myself, and that was one of the reasons why I picked number twenty seven, because nobody has twenty seven. Um it's now when I see little kids and stuff for the number, it brings

me back. Um. But I used to watch a lot of Jordan's obviously, um Vince Visiness my favorite player growing up, and I always loved Rows from Afar, his game, the way he gets the rim um, his explosiveness. Yeah, Jones, you committed to Kentucky to go play with John CALIPERI What was that recruiting process? Like? It was cool. I was getting a lot of schools, but my dad said were still one or two schools that I hadn't got yet,

and Kentucky was one of them. And that's how I knew that was on a scale that I needed to be at. Um Dether Schools, Deller School was going to go to. It was Oregon. I was actually leaning towards Oregon, but it was just too far and coming from Canada, I don't want to be away from my fan for the first year. So Kentucky was the easiest choice. What are the schools are recruiting you besides are going to get Missouri, I mean syrik Us, Michigan, all the all

the mains. Yeah, we're surprised that are easy to cottage. The cottage level game was and it came to you. That was my first time playing the two. So I was playing the one while up into college and then we had Tyler us UH Briscoe, and so I was only shooter out of them. I was only shoot at them. So um, I said the two. I didn't really handle the ball like that. Um. But I wasn't surprised at all. I was just going sirictly off jump shooting for the

most part. Two thousands, sixteen seventh overall picked to Denver. What was your first thought going there? Not nothing about Denver. I don't nothing about that for I didn't do an interview for them. I don't work out for them. I worked for four teams, and once I once I went past those four teams on draft night, I was like, oh man, I don't know where, I don't know who. Where did you work out for? I worked out for Boston,

New Orleans, UH, Minnesota, and Phoenix. So when Ingram and when oh no, my bad, when Simmons and went Ingram, Jellen Brown, Dragon Bender, Chris Dunne, Buddy Hill. I mean, what do you think who was the general managers back then? Many? Probably not the same. Yeah, he probably at home, but general man it was probably the same facts, yes, yes, yes, any funny stories um about draft night? Funny stories. Nah, I don't think that cool, calm night. I'm a family

with me. It was pretty chill. So yeah, I mean, speaking of your family, how proud of you? Was your family and particularly your father that night? It was proud, but we knew that it was just the first step in and what I wanted to to do an accomplished. So it wasn't like the end goal. It wasn't that wasn't that I made a moment for me, you know, it was I stopped more than different. I told you, boy, I told you. I told you it's all you need to have. That sure, it was like definitely a big factory.

Two part question, welcome to the NBA moment and then man opponent to date, Welcome to the NBA moment. I got a few, man, I got a few. I didn't talk to us about him. Well, I didn't I miss my first seventeen shots, which is almost a record coming into league. So five games later I made a shot. Um that was kind of welcome to the NBA because I was like my first real doubt where I was like, damn, like nothing's going away. Not just one or two games,

but like nothing's going on going down for me. Um. Another time was with Mike Conley what me He had like and fifteen on splitting pick and rolls and finishing floaters, and I was like, I'm like, yeah, I can't hang with this guy. Um, you Holiday picking my pockets seven times in one game. Welcome I could used to that page though, Yeah, Tennessee's I didn't know what anything wanted to do. But you know, with all due respect to

those players he mentioned, it's not the superstar. Mean, you know what the superstars do, but everybody could really, you mean, like Peo wouldn't think like Mike Conley was a killer. Holiday is one of the best two way, but it's you know what I mean, It's just some people don't know about I think of Staff and Lebron and k D. But like everybody, you gotta be ready for everybody talking about how difficult and learning to patient rookie year? What

best did you are? Lano Drew Arthur um Nelson was my ill Will Ill Will Orlando, good little bit Will Chamber, that's my guy, shout of We're got a squad though it was my rookie year. It was me and Mike Miller, Jamir d a Ill Will Gallo and somebody else are missing Kenneth so we had just fall off the place of the Earth. Well, I don't know, he's been working to get back in the league. That's my Muslim brother. I don't know. He can help some team with that

athleticism and his energy. You know what I'm saying. He can help somebody, you know. Yeah, Well you got to the Rising Starts Challenging All Star Weekend and went and one m v P at that game. You feel like that was when you really start to everybody to realize you seriously and you hear to stay. I mean I didn't take that that's serious. Yeah. I always took those

games serious. But it wasn't surprised me because when I went to join the brand and when MVP went to Hoops Something MP, when I went to any Bile still in Canada and MVP so like I was always, I've always showed up for those events. Um, so it's just called a put on, like on on the biggest stage I've been in. So you come to play in those type of games. Yeah, yeah, I'm known for I'm known for the bread lights playing the bread lights me too.

To any other memorable moments from Ostar, just that game. Um, I think after after that game, I was out. I've always wanted to be in the three point contest, so I want to do that. So that's coming, that's coming. That's coming. So after not making the playoffs eighteen nineteen, you guys finally make the playoffs. What's that feeling like personally? And what was the vibe like with that team? It

was fun. Um, we didn't really know we were getting ourself into and we never heard the crowd get like that. So I remember play the Spurs game one and we're at home. Uh, they win, the tip, crowd as loud as crazy. They try to throw the ball in the post. I think to Aldrich and I steal it off the ball. My man threw the ball and I try to steal it as soon as I still, I ran up the court from like the logo and just pulled straight backward.

I say, it was all excited just to be really took from the logo to try to start this off of the bank, but just good to be there though. It was just there. Yeah. Uh this second around, you guys had a historic game with the Trail Blazers quadruple over time. Um, talk about that battle. That was fine, that was fine. Going to the Damon c j um how was like our first real test um sant toilzar test.

But we felt like we were about them Portland. They had little mark experience and um, they had some killers on the team. The trip overtime game was crazy. You guys watch that one. Yeah, that was crazy. Um, it was up and down the whole series. But you know we get them. If we get them, now you know what you do. Yeah, we know what to do with him. Yeah, it was just down. Yeah. We was just young. We

was just young, That's all it was. After game six, you spoke up and got emotional in the postgame interview where you address racial injustice as well as Ana and jar Floor, which I appreciate. Appreciate my brother and Brianna Taylor, as each of their pictures were on your shoes. I think I I think I told you I appreciate that. What was your thought process when all that was going on? And uh, to to think to do to put it

on your shoes. I had those shoes for for a while actually, um or plan on get them done a while ago before that game, and I just want to I only wanted to bring him out when when I needed them. UM. I didn't want to just you know, wear them whenever. UM. And it was always on my mind because it was universal. It's a very common thing, um racism, and we were in there for a reason, not just because of COVID, but they want to use

basketball as a distraction. And those shoes were away of me, keeping myself locked in, and I just I just used that. I just went off off that. I said every fifty ball and those I had forty two and the game before I just so like once I had that good game, it was like, okay, these these these means something where they take something out of me to you know, and uh, I just want with that. And after the game, you know, we won the game, and there's so many different motions.

Because you're winning, you to think about the next one. But I couldn't get past that I couldn't get past the why I was. I was there, you know, so that really resonated with me, and everything after that was just pure. It's some family members from George for Ambriana Taylor that probably never see you, but I guarantee you they they wish they could tell you and hug you

and tell you appreciate that. But you know what I mean, because you know, a lot of people see what's going on, but those people are really dealing with pain that's real Tills. You know what I'm saying to see somebody on the level you at to. You know what I'm saying, to stand up for their children. That mean a lot, Bro, A lot of people don't understand how big that was. How are you doing from I'm good man. You know

I doing what I said I was gonna do. You know what I'm saying, to take care his daughter and her mom and their lives have changed. And at the end of the day, Bro, I didn't know what I was doing the whole time. We talked about all the time, But when it's your real pain, you just leave with your heart. You know what I'm saying that Thanks after the powerful moment you got you you go on to play the Clippers where you fought where you fall from

a three dead three one deaths? Did did you think I was gonna be able to come back from that? Absolutely from the moment down three And it was kind of like joking about it, like let's do it again, but like we really had to do it, and just doing it to definitely give you the comference that we can do it again. Yeah, because no one expected the first one, right, So the second one was like, Okay, you can't, you can't count these guys out anymore. Um,

then another side thing ain't coming back and three one again? Yeah, yeah, obviously because it's never been done right. But you know, when you're watching the regular season and you used to watch guys like Jordan's one thing my dask about Jordan was like, even if they're down in the game, you still watch the whole game because there's always a chance that Mike or is going to bring it back with

the Bulls and come back from the game. Then with Kobe, Yeah, and so my once, but it's just that stuck with me when my dad said that, and I always want to carry that when I'm in the game. So, like, you know, I'm known for having those bursts of your points just because I believe in what we can do. Um, So that really resonated with me, and I just want to keep that, uh, keep that going and empowered me. Empowered me to take three one your first Western Conference

Finals ever. In the bubble, how was that? It was cool? You lost, So it was I don't really like to speak on because we lost, but I'm telling you what you what you did miss and we know the home and away crowds being in another arena. Yeah, that different that I missed that was in the bubble was just kind of like pick up from at the best of set. Yeah, my hamstring tightened up in the game before the game for Game five U that day, it was just wearing

tear tired. Um, body was exhausted. There's there's a stat I was playing. I was taking up for four minutes of that game and we were minus eighteen in four minutes. So it's just like those things were like it's it was real like you had to be out there, had to be out there. Guys were locked in on the other side. But I mean, that's mentally draining to to come back from three Excuse me to three, one down, Like you know what I mean, you're back against the

wall every single game. That's mentally and physically exhausting in the bubble. So yeah, right, and until you get into the Western Finals versus the Lakers, and you guys feel like you guys just kind of ran out of gas. Yeah, we just got exhausted, got tired. Um, But it was cool. It's still cool to be There's something the team in the the organization has done a while, but we's not enough enough gas in the tank. Yeah. You dropped fifty in

one season thirty sixty three, Party three a couple of times. Okay, fifty though without the tip of the free though only Party history to achieve that tone. Now I need to was like it here? It was his locked in its over. What was it like that game? Because I mean you had, you know, obviously historic back and forth with Donovan Bitchell. You guys dropped fifty in the same game. But what to like being in that kind of zone. It's a

feeling like no other. That was the first time we had fans in the arena from back from COVID and it's just the energy just got to me. Um. I had the other fans cheering for for US in Cleveland, which is cool, but I mean it's different. I think I was like I was five, so I'm as four shots the entire game with no free throws, like it was just I'm just hitting everything. Um, it was a lot of fun. Once it get here, what was I get here? I'm straight, it don't matter where I am

in April. Unfortunately, you go down with an A C L versus the Warriors. Uh, within something immediate. You spoke a little bit. You said off before you said you had a hernie. Uh said that was a monster. That was It wasn't it wasn't long. It was just heart a lot. So when you when you know, when you made the move, did you know it was something bad for the most part, Yeah, because when I went down to nothing, I can think about else, Like the lego the ball and I just dropped leg um and I

was I was in pain. It was in a lot of pain. It was it was really hot. The lego was on fire. Coach comes over, um and it's like eerie silent in the gym. There's no fans, right, so it's like eerie silent. You heard the ref call for medic like it was just not a good spot to be in. Um. And then as soon as I sat up, I'm like, let me see if I can stand up and finish the game. Like we down seven, I'm thinking about winning the game with the torn a c L. UM.

But yeah, people like no, no, no, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't put no way on it. It was. It was on fire. When I say, like like a barbecue, like on top of your leg. It was uh. And then they told me the news, Um, so it's probably gonna be a c L And I got the m R I. Right after that, I started my journey back. Man. I look back. I still watch it now and I'm like, okay, I know where I want to be in nor I'm going. I know the work that's taken to get me to

this point. Now. UM, I'm just looking forward to coming back and come back with a different life. I'm going to take a step back for a second. First day of free agency. Um, you receive a max deal five years, one seventy What did that mean to you? Um? And all the hard work you've put in to be giving a max contract, that just that just lit bed of dollars. And now I combed that debt. Oh man, that just littified like my family, I don't really only look at

money like that already. I'm pretty hum a guy when I go When I go home, I actually sleep on air mattress to keep my mental to know where I'm coming from. When I got a little brother that's watching me as well, and I don't have to see that. You know, we can get hunger, but you can get whatever you want, but you don't take it because of why that's like, because there's certain things you have to learn and go through. And I'm trying to teach him

and at the same time teach myself. Um, the money isn't everything, and you know, if I didn't have any of it, I would still be the same person I am today. So that's why I look at it honestly from the heart. But um, obviously I'm straight. I can do what I want. Um, I'm still fined as one of the best scores in the game. Um as longly going off for me from there. I just that just now I see those names like Katie and stuff, I

want to put my name next to them as well. Um, other than your team, do you follow teams players, certain players yeah, Um, because you're active on Twitter when doing games and after games. Forgot about that and I'm allowed to do that. Yeah, absolutely yellow that I said that this year the one game I'm not gonna miss his Clays game, And I went back at halftime and just watch Clays like first five minutes his first and um,

everybody was real. Yeah it's just Goose was watching that because you know, you know he's been out for through similar man, but he's but it's like two of them. Yeah, without getting into play, Like you don't have that, you forget what it's like to be in that competitive mode, Like you really missed that. Um, so I just fell fromm and it was really nice to watch him. You

have to have the game taken from you. Well, at first you have to understand and love the game like we love it, but to have it taken from you, it's a different thing. I didn't have it taken from you because of no injury dump ship, but just to not be able to do what you love. People don't understand how hard and man if like I don't know what else to what else to do? Like that season is the whole season, eight months, nine months is all about basketball and routine and take care of your body

and hooping and being locked in. Like now it's like, man, I can I can eat a chicken burger and I ain't gotta worry about you know what. But I'm just joking, but like it's really just like that. We don't have to lock in. I don't have to go to the gym with a focused mentality. I just they're busting jokes and stuff, and I miss being in that mood where I'm different person. I'm locked in. You know, talk about

these players, um, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry. I've always I've always had stuff as as a target as a goal, um Google And in college, I think it was two threes away from tying his freshman record and now how many threes away from but like he's still that's like that's the target. You know. I've show that I can keep up in a way. Now it's just for me to Now it's on me to see how much I love the game and take it to that level. You know, I just put on me. But Katie, You've been watching

a lot of Katie. Just like we're talking about his pace. Now you can just catch them on the elbow and he didn't got a dribble. You can get a shot whenever and get to the spot. Um, that's what that was. Like. The tips I'm trying to take back when I come back is you know, get the ball on the post and and like yokis, don't have to move and to see the game at a different level. Um, that's what I'm trying to get to and starting for UM. So those kind of things I pick away from those guys.

You're gonna stop posting up more. Oh yeah, I got to move my own and trying to move my own pace when I come back for Shure. Yeah. I think I think Steve Smith told me, um, your game had changed when you start posting up, because I was a big guard at the two spot and it definitely changed. It opened up a lot fin But I can see you really taking advantage of a lot of guard, especially in the west on that block for sure, even guys like That's what I said, like watching Brandon Roy because

it was just bigger. You take guys and posted to the mid range Gilvert Arenas Um at the same time be able to play like like Darry Rose the River and be acrobatic. Normally you don't get to reflect on, you know, what you've accomplished or or been in when you're playing. You've kind of got to step away from the game, unfortunately because of an injury. But what if you you know, looking back on this journey, what has it been like so far? Learning experience? Um, everything happens

for a reason. Obviously would have liked to be playing, Yeah, but I wouldn't have learned the stuff I've learned if I if I wasn't out just about myself. Um, been going to church more. Um, that's a personal one. Uh, looking things a different light and meditating more. Um, talking to my brother Moore. Just things I didn't get to do while I was playing or didn't focus on. I'm focusing on now. Um. It's just kind of looking at me, myself and I off the court more I feel it.

What do you want your fans to know when you're back, who you're gonna be? Um? Because like you said, obviously this took you too through a growing experience mentally and physically. But the type of player you feel like you're gonna be when you come back, rejuvenated things the word for it, Um. Skill is gonna be there, Shooting touch is gonna be there playing in the candies though. Yeah, I'm just gonna be. I'm gonna be. I'm gonna be like a rookie out there.

I'na be. The game's moving fast. I'm probably gonna shoot a halfway shot and hit the straight back where. It's because I can't, you know, it's like just just because I can't, just because I can't. So I heard you're a gamer. What kind of games you grow so we don't have to talk about this, we can skip this sec What kind of games you grow up playing? Ship? We just said something to the lord ten times one game where I killed him four times. Ship, that's because

I was playing around, bro. Yeah, you wasn't using knives and sell your bottle caps. Thus she was. Um, I played a lot of two k um use yourself for other players myself every time, okay every time, just me, uh everything and it Um. I played fortnight because I got a little brother, so I gotta stay. I gotta some times for him because he likes to talk to

just like kiddy. Call of duty. That's all this kidding caller duty, I know, but it's if you play and you see like the building and stuff, guys, take it real serious as a kid. You know you're different. Um Fortnite Card two k Uh, Super Smash Bros. Just down Alottle more to Kombat. Um, I play everything man, you know Super Smash Process like like Lincoln's OLDA and Bowser. Okay, okay, it's a throwback name and all those kids. That's the

rap Jamal Murray. All the smoke you can cast us our Showtime Basketball YouTube and the I Heart platform Black Effects. This is all a Smoke, a production of The Black Effect and Our Heart Radio in partnership with Showtime