Jamal Murray definitely got the last laugh on Keyshawn Johnson.
Johnson, the ex-NFL receiver who is now an analyst for FS1, sparked backlash with his comments before Game 5 of the Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Lakers series on Monday. Upon being informed that the Nuggets guard Murray was questionable for the game due to a calf injury, Johnson, who is a Lakers fan, openly celebrated on the air during “Undisputed.”
Here is the video (where Johnson smiled, said, “good,” and even let out an emphatic “Yay!!!” over the Murray news).
Keyshawn Johnson openly cheering the news that Jamal Murray is questionable with an injury… pic.twitter.com/NSSiUpWx3v
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 29, 2024
Unfortunately for Johnson though, not only did Murray play in Game 5, but he sent the Lakers home with a performance for the ages. Murray had by far his best game of the series, scoring 32 points with five three-pointers on 13-for-28 from the field (including a cold-blooded game-winner with 3.6 seconds left).
After the game, Murray took a swipe at Johnson over social media. He “liked” a post on X about Johnson’s comments that featured the Michael Jordan “I took that personally” meme.
Jamal Murray: https://t.co/GigoTeTyhk pic.twitter.com/9WZnbpVhjr
— Jason Squilliams (@JasonSquilliams) April 30, 2024
The “like” from Murray can be seen on his public page here.
During Tuesday’s episode of “Undisputed,” Johnson tried to backtrack on his behavior. He said that he was merely cheering about the Lakers having a chance to extend the series, adding that he would never root for a player to be injured (but that he would take “hobbled”).
"I'm rooting for any opportunity to have my Lakers extend the series. I knew if he played, it was going to be rough." pic.twitter.com/7oLOgw2tRH
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 30, 2024
Regardless of Johnson’s reasoning, he can’t deny that he ended up with serious egg on his face. Murray proved to be the single biggest driving force behind the elimination of the Lakers on Monday, and he clearly took note of Johnson’s pregame comments as well.
