• Jamal Murray was barred from taking the Larry O’Brien trophy to his hometown of Kitchener, Ontario
• The Nuggets released a statement explaining no player or employee is allowed to take the trophy out of its facility
• The Larry O’Brien trophy has traveled across the world in previous years with other teams
Jamal Murray followed the championship wins of countrymen Cory Joseph, Tristan Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins by earning a ring of his own with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. While Thompson and Wiggins were allowed by their teams to bring the trophy to their hometowns and celebrate with fans, the Nuggets expressly stopped Murray from doing the same.
Nuggets media relations director Nick O’Hayre revealed the reason in an email to the Toronto Star.
“Our owners have had it under lock and key since we won and no players or staff are allowed to take it anywhere. The players don’t take the trophy like the Stanley Cup; it doesn’t make rounds or get passed around.”
Murray averaged 26.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in the 2023 Playoffs and was clearly the second-best player on the Nuggets behind Finals MVP Nikola Jokic. After two seasons where they couldn’t compete without Murray’s availability, his first year back from an ACL injury saw the team lift the biggest prize in basketball for the first time in franchise history.
It’s a shame he couldn’t follow through on his promise of bringing the trophy to Kitchener, Ontario, and celebrating with the ones in his hometown.
Jamal Murray Publicly Said He Wanted To Bring The Trophy Home
After beating the Miami Heat 4-1 in the Finals, Murray openly told Canadian reporter Arash Madani that he really wanted to take the trophy and celebrate with his supporters in Kitchener.
“Coming from a small town in Canada, Kitchener, Ontario, all the hours I put in becoming the best I can be. From missing two postseasons to being out here and helping my team. it’s just surreal. There were so many doubts, and so many ups and downs. it’s sweet. It’s very sweet… It means a lot for that kind of support [in Kitchener]. I’m bringing that Larry O’ to Kitchener, that’s going to be special and I hope we can have another party for that.”
Jamal Murray is bringing the Larry O'B home to Kitchener. Here's the emotional Canadian after he walked off the stage, an NBA champion at last — pic.twitter.com/m6ycD6RlnB
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) June 13, 2023
It is very sad that Murray couldn’t do that, but nothing has stopped him from celebrating with his people. Having a trophy to show off would have been nice, but their support was unconditional. The small town in Ontario will be cheering him on rabidly next season as well.
Murray is the ninth Canadian player to be deemed an NBA Champion.
The Tradition Of Taking The Larry O’Brien To Your Hometown
The Larry O’Brien trophy is no stranger to international travel. There are plenty of examples of players taking the trophy to their hometowns outside of Joseph. Thompson, and Wiggins.
The San Antonio Spurs are credited with starting the trend of players taking the trophy to their hometowns with their 2014 title win. The trophy went to Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, and Brazil with that franchise. The Warriors allegedly saw the trophy travel 33,000 miles in 2017, including a trip to Tbilisi so that Zaza Pachulia could show off the trophy in his hometown.
Even when the trophy was won by a Canadian team in 2019, the Raptors allowed Serge Ibaka to take the trophy to his home country of Congo and celebrate with his countrymen. Murray has missed out on a great experience, and it’s unfortunate to see the Nuggets have such a strict policy with the only championship trophy in their cabinet.
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