The 2023–24 NBA season began on Tuesday night with Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets defeating LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the close game, the two teams proved that basketball isn’t everything.
The Lakers lost 119-107 to the defending champions at Ball Arena, but James still had time to show love for Murray’s family before getting on the team bus.
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Murray reposted the video to his Instagram Story, acknowledging the gesture from the King. “The side that they don’t see,” the star Canadian wrote. Clearly, there is some camaraderie between the two stars.
Murray, Nuggets off and running
After a dominant run through the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Nuggets continued where they left off, winning early in front of a boisterous crowd. Nikola Jokic delivered yet another incredible performance to lead the squad. The current Finals MVP started out with a triple-double, finishing with another amazing effort that included 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists.
“I believe we had complete control over the game,” the superstar remarked later.
In addition to his own 21 points, Murray’s stat line included two rebounds, six assists, and a block. Michael Porter Jr. scored twelve, Aaron Gordon scored fifteen, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored twenty.
LeBron fine with less minutes
LeBron led the way for the Lakers despite playing around five fewer minutes than usual.
After the defeat, James said, “I mean, I always want to be on the floor, especially when you got an opportunity to win a game or feel like you can make an impact.” However, I suppose there is a system in place, and I will adhere to it.
The 38-year-old, who is the oldest player in the league, stated later that he is “not surprised or upset” that the team has been keeping an eye on his playing time early in the season.In his Lakers debut, Taurean Prince scored eighteen points, followed by Anthony Davis with seventeen, Austin Reaves with fourteen, and D’Angelo Russell with eleven.
Los Angeles started the game down as much as 18 points, but a 13-0 surge in the third and fourth quarters helped them close the gap to three. The streak would not last, as Aaron Gordon’s three-pointer ended it.
It was nice to witness James and Murray’s post-match sportsmanship, regardless of the result.