Canada has announced that defending NBA champion Jamal Murray with the Denver Nuggets will not be taking part in the upcoming FIBA ​​Men’s World Cup later this month.

The 26-year-old, who has already missed friendlies against Germany last week, said in a statement that his body was unable to compete at the highest level, having last played a little more ago two months in the NBA.

Murray is coming off a stellar postseason with the Nuggets, taking his game to another level, averaging over 26 points for the second straight playoff. Along with Finals MVP Nikola Jokic (who also misses the Cup), the duo led Denver to the franchise’s first NBA title, while Murray became the ninth Canadian to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“In consultation with medical staff and staff, it is clear that further recovery is required and I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the tournament,” Murray said in the statement. “It is always a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics, and I will support the team every step of the way in pursuit of that goal.

It is a blow for a Canadian team that aspires to participate in the Olympic Games for the first time since 2000, in addition to being considered one of the main favorites to win the competition.

“After many discussions over the past few weeks with Jamal and the team medical team, it has become clear that continued recovery and rehabilitation will prevent Jamal from joining our squad for the upcoming Basketball World Cup. men’s FIBA,” added the Canadian general manager. Rowan Barrette.

The World Cup is set to start later this month, with Canada’s first game against France on August 25. They will then prepare to face Lebanon, in addition to the Latvian team who lost Kristaps Porzingis also to injury.

Check out the Basketball World Cup guide to see squads, fixtures, favorites and more!

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