HOF coach tears into Jamal Murray after Canada's elimination from Paris Olympics: "A bitter, bad attitude dude"
Hall of Fame coach George Karl launched a scathing attack on Jamal Murray after the Canada men's basketball team were eliminated from the 2024 Paris Olympics. Canada bowed out after an 82-73 loss to hosts France on Tuesday in the quarterfinal.
Murray had a forgettable performance against Les Bleues. The Denver Nuggets point guard endured a rough shooting night, and his horrendous display was one of the major reasons behind Canada's defeat.
Karl, who won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2013, dropped a candid verdict of Murray's performance and demeanor at the Olympics.
"Jamal Murray looked like a bitter, bad attitude dude in the Olympics," the former coach posted on X, formerly called Twitter.
Murray played 23:47 minutes and scored seven points on 23.1% shooting from the field, including 25% from the 3-point range. The 27-year-old old clanked 10-of-13 shots and missed three of his four attempts from behind the arc.
The one-time NBA champion recorded three turnovers. Murray also had five rebounds, one assist and one steal. Throughout the Olympics, Murray came off the bench but struggled to make any significant impact.
The star point guard failed to register a double-digit scoring game. His best offensive game came against Greece in the group stage, where he scored eight points.
Overall, Murray averaged six points on 29% shooting from the field, including an abysmal 14.3% from the 3-point range in four games. He averaged three rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
Jamal Murray reflects on his performance
Jamal Murray is one of the best clutch players in the NBA. The point guard's ability to knock down shots under extreme pressure in high-stakes playoff games is well documented. Hence, the 27-year-old's struggles against France in a knockout game was surprising.
Murray was dejected after Canada's loss as he reflected on his performance.
"It was a tough experience, personally," Murray said after the game, as quoted by the Denver Gazette.
The Denver Nuggets star candidly spoke about coming off the bench for the national team.
"It’s an adjustment, for sure. First time coming off the bench, and on top of that, not playing on the ball. It’s just an adjustment, playing against the best teams and players in the world," he continued.
"I’m still kind of adjusting to that kind of role. But that's a question for higher-ups," Murray said when asked about how he was utilized by the coaching staff.
With Canada's loss, Jamal Murray's season came to an end. The Denver point guard will next be seen in action during the 2024-25 NBA season.