All anyone wants, Jamal Murray, is ownership.
Ownership of responsibility. Of accountability. Of leadership. Of example. Of legacy.
These Nuggets are all stewards of The Nikola Jokic Era, long may it reign. Don’t do it for us. Do it for him.
The Joker turns 31 in February. Aaron Gordon just turned 30. It’s been the time of our lives. It’ll be over in a blink.
Titles are forever. Championship windows aren’t.
All Nuggets Nation wants, Blue Arrow, is to not act as if you don’t care whether or not you might waste said window. To not to act as if the job is already done. To not act as if one ring is enough.
“Jamal had an amazing summer,” Nuggets coach David Adelman gushed on Monday during the franchise’s annual fall media day at Ball Arena. “He looks good. I think mentally he’s great.”
The 2025-26 Nuggets are deeper, and maybe better, than the ’22-23 bunch that won the NBA title. But six of the top eight players projected to get the most minutes this season are also aged 29 or older.
Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer pushed every blue and gold chip they had straight to the middle of the table this past summer. In the Western Conference, sadly, a Joker alone won’t be enough to win the pot.
Fortunately, during a morning of happy, groovy highlights, Murray provided two of the biggest.
First, the Nuggets guard looks as if he could wrestle John Cena with one arm and bench press a Volvo with the other. Second, and more importantly, coaches and players reported that Murray took ownership of Nuggets workouts and bonding moments this past offseason in Los Angeles.
Hunter Tyson: “I saw more of a leadership emphasis from the players, whether that be Jamal, (Cam Johnson, Tim Hardway Jr.) and others.”
Spencer Jones: “(Murray) was in (our gym) a lot this summer. And it will definitely show.”
Adleman, again: “I give (Murray) so much credit in Los Angeles … it’s not just about getting on the court together; it’s about going and hanging out, grabbing something to eat, possibly a drink. It was good to see Jamal take the lead on that.”
The Nuggets will never become a dynasty if Murray is content to be a passenger.
“I’m trying to win a championship,” Murray said. “When you lose, you just try to find some motivation and the will to get back in there and really try to start something fresh.
“And the front office made some moves. (We’ve) got a lot of new faces. So, we need to put our best foot forward as a group. And I’ll try to get the job done.”
Murray turned up at 2023 Nuggets Media Day waxing about his love of mixed martial arts. What horses are to Jokic, octagons are to Jamal. The Blue Arrow became pals with Australian UFC star Alexander Volkanovski. He’s sparred with another UFC vet, Tyson Pedro.
Yet when cameras captured him at a UFC fight card in New York last November, in between games on a Nuggets road trip through the South, the optics were rough. Especially as it came just two months after he landed a four-year, $208.5 million max extension from the Kroenkes.
Skeptics wondered if his heart was somewhere else. If he really had downshifted after a) finally reaching the mountaintop; and b) witnessing painfully, just how dang hard it is to repeat it.
Muscle Murray turned up at 2025 Media Day rested, refreshed and ready to go five rounds with Alex Pereira. But first, he’s got his sights on taking down November, a recurring nemesis.
“I’m just focused on having a really great November,” Murray noted. “That’s … my biggest thing: having a great November.”
Two Novembers ago, the Arrow averaged 12.5 points per game for the month. Last November, he averaged 17.8 points, shot 31.9% from beyond the arc and 72.2% from the free-throw line.
Admission was a heck of a first step.
Now comes the hard part: Fixing it. Actions, Arrow. Actions, not words.
“(Murray) learned from everything in life, but sometimes part of learning stuff is forgetting about it and moving on,” Adelman said. “I think for him, this is a completely different year. New teammates, new locker room, a new chance to lead differently.”
As we learned last season, the Joker can do almost anything all by himself. Except win an NBA title. Jokic says he wants to be a Nugget forever. Eternity, alas, will only fly as high as Murray can lift it.
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