There are certain feelings that only a few people in the world will ever get to experience, like hitting a buzzer-beater to win an NBA game or lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. But signing your name on a piece of paper in exchange for $208 million has to be one of the coolest.

Today’s Lineup

Jamal Gets PAID!

Jamal Murray has had a highly unique NBA career, which has seen him go from lottery pick to bubble warrior to Lakers killer to NBA champion.

Now? Add “$200 million man” to the list.

One half of (arguably) one of the league’s best duos got his bag over the weekend, as the former Kentucky Wildcat signed a 4-year, $208 million extension to remain in Denver. This new deal will keep Murray from hitting the open market next summer and keeps him tied to the Mile High City for the foreseeable future.

NBA fans are often prisoners of the moment, so it’s easy to forget the level of praise Murray received when the Nuggets danced all the way to the title in 2023. It wasn’t uncommon to see people calling him and Nikola Jokic the best duo in basketball, and make no mistake—we’re sure Murray still has that level of dawg in him. We can’t wait for plenty more seasons of picks and rolls, playoff buckets, and big games against the Lakers 😝.

The Glove = The Coach!

We love seeing former players mentor the next generation, and that’s exactly what Gary Payton Sr. is about to start doing. The former DPOY and SuperSonics legend recently accepted the head coaching job at the College of Alameda, a small community college near San Francisco.

Payton, a Bay Area native himself, is taking the reigns of a team that went 7-21 last season. But if we can be sure of one thing, it’s that the other teams in the Bay Valley Conference are gonna have a rough time scoring on the perimeter for years to come. Best of luck to the legend himself!

Hoops History

The Finals MVP award is one of the most unique in all of sports, with players getting the chance to etch their names in history based off just a few big time games. Let’s take a look back at one of this award’s most hotly contested moments: the 2015 NBA Finals.

Candidate #1: Andre Iguodala

Out of everyone on Golden State… yeah, you know the rest.

The actual winner of the award, Iggy was named 2015 Finals MVP partially for his solidly efficient offensive production (16.3 PPG on 52.1% FG%) but primarily for his defense against LeBron James. Holding the King to under 40% from the field is no small feat, and with Cleveland’s other stars on the mend, that defensive performance from Iggy was enough to shift the series in Golden State’s favor. However…

Candidate #2: Steph Curry

It was nearly the season of dreams for the baby-faced assassin—he got the league MVP award and a championship ring but couldn’t complete the trifecta by winning Finals MVP. Despite Curry taking the NBA by storm in 2014-15, some criticized his performance in the Finals by citing his decrease in playmaking (7.7 APG ⏩ 6.3) and three-point efficiency (44.3% ⏩ 38.5%) from the regular season. Nevertheless, Curry led the W’s in scoring with 26 PPG and remained the fulcrum behind their title-winning offense.

Candidate #3: LeBron James

Only one player from the team that lost has ever won Finals MVP in NBA history, but many argued that LeBron had a case during this particular series. With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love both missing almost the entirety of the series, James was forced to take on the Warriors with little quality help around him (case in point: Irving, despite playing in just one game, was Cleveland’s seventh-leading scorer in the series). James put up some insane numbers—averaging roughly 36 PPG, 13 RPG, and 9 APG—and dragged the Cavs to a semi-respectable six-game defeat. But was his effort Herculean enough to warrant the MVP?

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, don’t be afraid to try something new! It’s easy to shy away from things because they’re unfamiliar, but often that’s what makes them so worthwhile. See you soon!

-Walker Carnathan