Nuggets’ Jamal Murray gets emotional over BLM after 50-point game
Denver's Canada-born star forward said the fight for Black Lives Matter doesn’t just happen in America; it happens everywhere.
Jamal Murray, a star forward for the Denver Nuggets, got emotional after leading his team to a playoff win over the Utah Jazz, in which he scored 50 points.
Being interviewed after the game, Murray said he has a “will to win.” Wearing shoes adorned with the image of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Murray said, “These shoes mean a lot.”
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“We found something worth fighting for, as a league, as a collective unit,” Murray said. “I use these shoes as a symbol to keep fighting all around the world. They give me a lot of power to keep fighting.”
The fight for Black Lives Matter doesn’t just happen in America, he observed; it happens everywhere.
“These shoes give me life,” said Murray though tears. “Even though these people are gone, they help me find the strength to keep fighting this world. That’s what I’m going to keep doing.”
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In the press conference after the Nuggets’ 119-107 win over the Jazz, Murray, who was born in Canada, said, “I play with a lot of heart. I play with a lot of passion, and when you are fighting for something, it means a whole lot more. We’ve been fighting this fight for a long time, and we are tired of being tired.”
He said that the league is taking the initiative to make sure that every player is registered to vote. He said that the pause in play that players took after the shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin was necessary for the players to gather their thoughts.
He said that “the NBA is going to keep fighting.” He thanked Commissioner Adam Silver for allowing the players to use their platform.
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“It’s an emotional thing because it’s not just me; there are so many other guys. It’s lives … imagine losing your life. Imagine a father losing his life. Imagine a father, a son, a brother, getting shot seven times in front of their kids. Imagine that.”
Murray paused before adding: “The least I can go out there and do is fight for something.”
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