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Nikola Jokic picks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over Jamal Murray in a heated Canadian guard debate
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- Nikola Jokic picks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over Jamal Murray in a heated Canadian guard debate
The Denver Nuggets got their revenge on the Golden State Warriors for the season-opening loss after an overtime win. Without Stephen Curry , the visiting team had no answer for the leading trio from Colorado, who showcased the full range of their talent.
Nikola Jokic delivered 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists on 12-of-15 shooting in just three quarters, while Jamal Murray finished with 23 points and eight assists on 8-of-12 shooting. Aaron Gordon was excellent again as well, with 18 points in 23 minutes.
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"Prime on NBA" broadcast the Nuggets' 129–104 blowout win, and in the studio, the crew discussed how lethal the Murray–Jokic pairing is. That prompted Blake Griffin to ask Jokic after the game who the best Canadian guard of all time is, clearly hinting at Murray while Steve Nash was sitting in the studio, but Jokic didn't choose either of them.
" Canadian? I mean we have one MVP right now so I mean it's kinda tough battle over there," Jokic said. "I know you have two MVP awards, okay okay ," Jokic jokingly added to Nash.
Shai has already surpassed Nash by many
And indeed, when we look back at Nash's dominance during the 2000s, two MVP awards, five assists titles, eight All-Star selections, six All-NBA selections, including two First Teams, and four 50-40-90 seasons, who would have thought that not one, but possibly two players might surpass him this quickly?
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Although some may find it strange that Jokic picked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over his teammate Murray, for now, it is the realistic choice. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard is currently the frontrunner for both MVP and the scoring title according to oddsmakers, and he is on track for his fourth straight season averaging 30 or more points on at least 50 percent shooting.
He was also the Western Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP last year, and after a 9–1 start, many believe OKC is the favorite to defend its title. SGA also owns something neither Nash nor Murray has – a bronze medal from the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila, the most outstanding achievement in the history of the Canadian national team.
Murray was playing like a Finals MVP in the 2023 championship run
Still, Joker has seen firsthand what the "Blue Arrow" is capable of. Together in 2023, they delivered the first Larry O'Brien trophy in franchise history to the Mile High City. He and Jokic became only the second pair of teammates to each record at least 25 points and 10 assists in an NBA Finals game, and they also became the first teammates, in either the regular season or playoffs, to record 30-point triple-doubles in the same game.
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Murray became the first player to record at least 10 assists in each of his first four Finals games, joining Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only players to average at least 20 points and 10 assists in an NBA Finals series.
Although Jokic was the unquestioned Finals MVP, Murray completed that playoff run, averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals on 47.3 percent shooting. Still, as good as he has been, he has yet to make an All-Star team, mainly because he is viewed as a slow starter early in the season . His former teammate Vlatko Cancar explained why .
" Murray, who is a top player, just isn't consistent enough to be an All-Star," Cancar said . "We were finishing first before the All-Star break, and there's always just one of us on the team, never two or three. One year Aaron Gordon barely missed out and it went to Jaren Jackson Jr. instead ," Cancar concluded.
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SGA and Murray could dethrone Team USA at the next Olympics
Despite being an NBA champion with MVP-level numbers, Murray is still the second-best player on his team. That was also evident with the Canadian national team at the 2024 Olympics, where he was arguably the worst player on the roster, averaging just 6.0 points and 3.0 assists on a dreadful 29.0 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Many expected Jamal and Shai to lead Canada to the final, but Murray's poor play overshadowed Shai's excellent performances, as the OKC guard averaged 21.0 points and 4.0 assists on 54.0 percent shooting.
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Still, both Murray and SGA have achieved something Nash never did: an NBA championship. And they are both young enough to bring more medals to Canada in future FIBA competitions. If they manage to win an Olympic medal, Nash could easily slip to third on the list of the greatest Canadian guards ever, something previously unthinkable but now very realistic.
Jamal and Shai are chasing their second NBA title
Nash, however, can be proud. He is the one most responsible for inspiring the generation of Murray, Gilgeous-Alexander and many other great Canadian players. That is his undeniable legacy.
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And who knows, with Oklahoma and Denver viewed as the top title favorites this year, one of the two may become a two-time NBA champion, which will only add to their amazing legacies.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 8, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
