Jamal Murray to miss World Cup for Team Canada

Canada received a gutting blow to its 2023 FIBA World Cup hopes on Wednesday morning.

Today, Canada Basketball announced that star point guard Jamal Murray would not be able to compete for the team at this month’s FIBA World Cup, citing the fatigue after a long NBA season where his Denver Nuggets captured their first championship in franchise history.

“When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup,” Murray shared in a statement by Canada Basketball.

Murray had missed the entirety of the 2021-22 NBA season while rehabbing his ACL injury.

Though he appeared willing to compete for Canada, Murray had yet to join the team in Europe, staying in North America to continue ramping up for the tournament.

“In consultation with medical staff and the team, it is clear that additional recovery is required, and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament. It’s still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics, and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal,” Murray added.

Team general manager Rowan Barrett also commented on Murray’s decision.

“After numerous discussions over the last several weeks with Jamal and team medical staff, it became clear that additional recovery and rehab would prevent Jamal from joining our team for the upcoming FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup,” said Barrett.

“With just over a week until we tip-off at the World Cup, based on a shared commitment to continue building and improving every day, we will be working through our remaining practice and exhibition game schedule to prepare us for the tournament-opening game.”

Canada’s first tournament game is set for August 25 against France, while they will also take on Lebanon and Latvia in the group stage as they aim to advance to the knockout rounds.

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