Watch: Jamal Murray shows off his new ink in Abu Dhabi ahead of preseason matchup vs Celtics
Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets are in Abu Dhabi to train ahead of their preseason games for the 2024-25 NBA season. Denver’s stay in the oil-rich city will include two exhibition matchups against the Boston Celtics on Oct. 4 and Oct. 6. Nuggets coach Mike Malone has already indicated that Murray and the other starters will get a limited run versus the defending champs.
Murray, who had a chance to visit the place for a few pre-Olympic games, made the most of his return. The Nuggets point guard showed off his arm sleeve which went viral on TikTok. A basketball site shared the same clip on X, formerly Twitter:
Jamal Murray seemed excited to show off his new tattoo in time for the preseason. He already tried his shooting motion while taking a sideway glance at his newly acquired body art. Murray joins a long list of NBA players with tattoos on their whole arms.
The Denver Nuggets hope Jamal Murray regains his shooting touch
During the 2023-24 regular season, Jamal Murray averaged 21.2 points per game on 48.1% shooting, including 42.5% from deep. Murray’s shooting efficiency dropped to 40.2% in the postseason while his 3-point accuracy fell to 31.5%.
Murray’s shooting struggles continued in the Olympics for Canada. “Glitch” hit 41.2% of his shots but was 14.3% from beyond the arc. He didn’t look like one of the NBA’s biggest stars, and several basketball insiders thought Canada coach Jordi Fernandez should have given more playing time to Andrew Nembhard.
While Jamal Murray is enjoying his new tattoo, the Denver Nuggets will be more concerned with his shooting touch. Murray’s new-look arm will be tested immediately by the Boston Celtics’ defensive backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will also get their chance to lock down “Glitch.”
Nuggets fans will be interested to see if Nikola Jokic’s sidekick has gotten his confidence and stroke back after a forgettable Olympic showing.