Watch: Will Jamal Murray survive Alexander Volkanovski in 1 min of jiu jitsu?
NBA players are constantly trying new things to stay in shape, but Jamal Murray might have gone overboard. The Denver Nuggets guard recently engaged in an activity that could have left him severely injured.
In the past, athletes have turned to boxing as a form of cardio workout. However, Jamal Murray took things to another level. He decided to test his luck sparing against former UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Volkanovski has been doing MMA for over a decade, and has a professional record of 28-2 with 13 knockouts. Murray recently tried to see if he could last a minute with the current featherweight champion.
Jamal Murray was getting tips from the professional fighter during a workout, and then proceeded to proclaim he wouldn't tap out in under 60 seconds. In a shocking turn of events, he managed to survive. Just after time expired, Murray tapped after being trapped on the mat.
Part of what helped Murray was his size advantage. Volkanovski only stands at 5-foot-6, 144 pounds. Murray on the other hand is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds.
Alexander Volanovski was careful with Jamal Murray during sparing
Even with the size disadvantage, Alexander Volankovski could have easily made Jamal Murray tap out in under a minute. He is a trained fighter with over a decade of experience. That said, he made sure to be careful with the Denver Nuggets star.
Before their exchange began, ground rules were laid out. Murray said anything goes, but Volankovski stated he wasn't going near his legs. This was a smart move given Murray's recent history.
As most know, Murray missed the entire 2022 season due to an ACL injury. It was a long road to get back to 100%, but he managed to do whatever was needed. Murray quickly looked like his old self last season, averaging 20.0 points and 6.2 assists across 65 games. Alongside Nikola Jokic, he helped lead the Denver Nuggets to their first championship.
While this exchange was done in good fun, it could have taken a horrible turn. Luckily, Volkanovski was holding back from the start. If not, what was ment to be for fun could have completely derailed things for Murray and the Nuggets.
This close to training camp, Murray cannot afford to suffer any kind of setbacks. Fresh off winning a title in 2023, the Nuggets are looking to contend again this season. They cannot do that without the services of their lead guard.