Canadian NBA champion Jamal Murray out of exhibition games ahead of FIBA World Cup
Decision on status of Kitchener, Ont., for tournament will be made at later date
Jamal Murray has been ruled out of Canada's exhibition games ahead of the FIBA Men's Basketball World Cup.
Canada Basketball made the announcement Monday morning, saying in a release that the Denver Nuggets star will instead focus on his off-season recovery and a decision on his status for the tournament will be made at a later date.
Murray is less than two months removed from the end of his NBA season after the Nuggets won their first title in franchise history in June.
Canada faces Germany on Wednesday in Berlin, followed by a trip to Hamburg for the 34th Basketball Supercup. Canada takes on New Zealand in the semifinals on Saturday, with the finals being on Sunday.
Canada then travels to Spain for a two-game exhibition series on August 17-18. They will face hosts and defending FIBA Men's World Cup champions Spain on August 17 before taking on the Dominican Republic the following day.
The World Cup takes place from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 with a chance to qualify for the 2024 Olympics on the line. Canada needs a top-two finish among the Americas teams to qualify.
