Ex-Nuggets teammate takes apparent swipe at Jamal Murray
Feb 8, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) reacts in the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
There may be some premium-grade beef marinating between Jamal Murray and a former teammate.
Speaking with reporters on Monday for the first time as a member of the LA Clippers, guard Bones Hyland had some interesting comments. When asked about playing before in Denver with Murray and Nikola Jokic as well as now playing in Los Angeles with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the ex-Nugget Hyland seemed to ignore Murray altogether.
“It was a great experience playing with Joker,” said Hyland. “[There are] two guys over here who are phenomenal talents, and over there, there’s one guy with phenomenal talent as well.”
Here is the full video of Hyland’s comments, per Clippers writer Joey Linn.
Bones Hyland was asked about playing with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray and now Kawhi and PG:
“It was a great experience playing with Joker. Two guys over here who are phenomenal talents, and over there there’s one guy with phenomenal talent as well.” pic.twitter.com/dL6Yr93kKN
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) February 13, 2023
True, Murray, who has yet to make an All-Star team or an All-NBA team in his career, does not have the resume of a player like a Jokic, a Leonard, or a George. But there is reason to believe that Hyland’s omission of Murray here was intentional.
After the Nuggets traded Hyland to the Clippers at the deadline, a report from Mike Singer of the Denver Post shed light on some apparent friction between Hyland and Murray. For one, Murray was reportedly frustrated that he had to carry a heavier load defensively when playing alongside Hyland because of Hyland’s lapses on that end. Singer also notes that Hyland at times “submarined” the offense and undermined Murray.
You can read Singer’s full report here.
It is safe to say that Hyland, who was Denver’s first-round draft pick in 2021, had a pretty big falling out with the team. A few days ago, he took another petty shot at the Nuggets.