It was a Sunday afternoon in early July, and Jamal Murray had been in Las Vegas for a number of days — sufficient time for town to wear down anybody.
“I’m a bit of hung over,” he mentioned, smiling in apology as he tried — unsuccessfully — to recollect some particulars of the post-championship interactions he’d had with Denver Nuggets followers. Murray, the Nuggets’ star level guard, was lower than a month faraway from serving to the franchise win its first N.B.A. championship.
He had spent the earlier evening feting his pal Alexander Volkanovski, U.F.C.’s featherweight champion, after Volkanovski gained U.F.C. 290 to stay undefeated within the 145-pound weight class. Murray had joined him for a number of hours earlier than the struggle and had been struck by how comfortable Volkanovski was. The fighter had been pleased to chuckle and joke with Murray regardless of an essential bout awaiting him later that night.
“This is sort of a championship belt for him, proper?” Murray mentioned. “He was simply so free about it. It type of introduced me again to, like, I don’t need to take my routine as severe so long as I understand how to flip a change, flip it on and produce it once I want it.”
The lesson may come in useful for Murray as he prepares for his subsequent N.B.A. season, with coaching camps starting in a couple of month. Final week, he went to Sydney to attend U.F.C. 293, the place Israel Adesanya misplaced his middleweight belt to Sean Strickland. Murray deliberate to spend a while coaching with Volkanovski whereas there.
Murray befriended Volkanovski throughout a go to to Australia final August. They shot a video collectively, with every one going by means of the opposite’s coaching routines. Murray hit a heavy bag. Volkanovski shot some free throws.
There are superficial variations between the 2 — Murray is almost a foot taller than the 5-foot-6 Volkanovski, and Volkanovski is eight years older — however in Murray, Volkanovski noticed somebody who shared the work ethic and self-discipline on which he prided himself. Volkanovski immediately took to Murray.
“I’m a Nuggets man now purely due to our connection,” Volkanovski mentioned in late July, a number of weeks after Murray joined him for U.F.C. 290.
Their friendship grew at a difficult time for Murray.
Murray had missed the 2021-22 N.B.A. season as he recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He needed to educate himself the best way to stroll once more, and he spent days questioning about his basketball future.
Nuggets Coach Michael Malone later recalled that Murray, with tears in his eyes, had requested if the Nuggets had been going to commerce him due to his damage.
Within the fall of 2022, Murray started enjoying N.B.A. basketball once more.
Denver had the very best file within the Western Convention for a lot of the season. As Murray grew extra snug, he and Nikola Jokic, the group’s star heart, grew to become a fearsome tandem. In the course of the playoffs, they grew to become the primary teammates to have triple-doubles with a minimum of 30 factors in the identical recreation.
“I’m nonetheless coming again, although,” Murray mentioned in July. “I didn’t have a full low season to get well. Or practice on what I needed to. My entire final summer season was simply engaged on my power right here.”
He patted his knee.
“And that was it. I didn’t get to work on my recreation.”
He had thrown himself into his return, and he had additionally been gravely severe about his pregame routine, leaving no time for levity.
The Nuggets gained the N.B.A. championship in June, beating the Miami Warmth in 5 video games. That remaining evening, as Murray left the world in Denver, he sat within the passenger seat of a black automobile and infrequently rolled down his window to greet anybody who needed to say hiya. At one stoplight round 1 a.m., a fan noticed Murray as she was crossing the road. She sprinted over to Murray and hugged him by means of the automobile window. Fairly than recoil at contact from a stranger, Murray returned the hug, smiling.
“Everyone’s simply attempting to be part of the second, which is actually cool,” Murray mentioned.
About 4 weeks later, he joined Volkanovski for his personal championship bout.
There, Murray noticed a unique fashion of preparation than the one he’d employed throughout the season.
“I’ll undoubtedly have my second all through my automobile trip, ‘There’s no manner that they’re taking this belt away from me.’ However I’m often fairly chill,” Volkanovski mentioned. “I’m pleased to have a bit of chuckle.”
Volkanovski mentioned he questioned if the violent nature of combined martial arts might need made Murray extra eager about his relaxed demeanor earlier than the struggle.
“In all probability he may take a look at that, I imply, like, ‘This man’s about to go to battle and he actually treats it as, like, you realize, that is his job, he is aware of he’ll be high-quality,’” Volkanovski mentioned. “‘He’s clearly assured in his preparation and all that.’”
Whereas Volkanovski appreciated listening to that Murray sought inspiration from his course of, he respects Murray’s course of as nicely.
“Everybody has their very own manner of making ready for his or her — no matter they do,” Volkanovski mentioned. “And you’ll by no means knock it, as a result of clearly he’s enjoying some good basketball, so that you don’t need to change a lot.”
In July, Murray stayed for Volkanovski’s post-fight media appearances, then celebrated afterward at a gathering that Shaquille O’Neal additionally attended. The summer season, a minimum of, afforded an opportunity to unwind.
