'Champs for life': Jamal Murray officially puts bubble success in the past at Denver Nuggets championship parade

Jun. 15—There's no better showman in Denver than Jamal Murray.

He's got the perfect facial reaction for every scenario on the court and he's always got a clever line to deliver postgame.

But during the rally at the end of the Nuggets' championship parade through downtown Denver on Thursday morning, Murray spoke for less than a minute.

Instead, he let his shirt do the talking.

He's not Playoff Murray or Finals Murray anymore. He goes by Championship Murray, now.

"We really did this," Murray said to the thousands of people in Civic Center Park. "Y'all really did this. Y'all give me energy, we give you energy. We champs for life!"

In the locker room after the Nuggets won the championship-clincher on Monday night, Murray officially declared the death of his least favorite nickname — "Bubble Murray."

It's been an emotional few days for Murray, who has certainly gotten his due credit for his efforts in this playoff run in which he scored over 26 points per game while also dishing out seven assists and grabbing nearly six rebounds a night. Oh, and he had the signature moments to go with those numbers as well.

There has also been a lot of partying and celebrations since Monday night, but not before he was initially brought to tears when speaking with ESPN immediately after Denver's 94-89 win over the Heat.

"It was just a surreal moment," Murray said postgame. "Everything was hitting (me) at once, from the journey, to the celebration with the guys, to enjoying the moment, to looking back on the rehab, to looking back at myself as a kid, as the other viewer, looking from the crowd in or from the camera lens in, and now looking back at them."

Murray has undergone many transformations during his time in Denver. He went from early draft pick to solid starter. Then he went from solid starter to elite scorer in the bubble. Then came his ACL injury that set him off course for a year and a half. Even this year, the player he is today is vastly different from the player he was in the season opener.

"I always say, if you go back to the first game in Utah, I picked up the ball in the paint like five times — I was so lost," Murray said. "I had never felt being that lost on the court before. I just didn't want to go in the paint or jump or land or feel contact.

"Just to see it full circle and have total belief in myself, have the team have total belief in me, people back home have total belief in me, that's all I could ever ask for, and just to see it like this is amazing."

There's just one more step for Murray to take in his career.

Fresh off a dominant postseason, he's finally established himself in the conversation among the elite guards in the NBA and should have a chance to make his first All-Star Game and his first All-NBA team next season. Just like the Nuggets team as a whole, he's not satisfied.

"There's more to come from me," Murray said. "I know if I can do this fresh off an ACL (injury), still having sore days and everything like that, we can do this again."

Bruce Brown teases return

Is Bruce Brown really going to turn down big money elsewhere to remain in Denver?

We'll see what the answer actually is when the offers are in front of him, but it's not a certainty this was Brown's first and only season with the Nuggets.

"I've got a question for y'all. One more year?" Brown said at Thursday's championship parade.

The crowd went nuts, just like they did when Brown came onto the stage with the now signature "BRUUUUUUUUUCE" chants echoing throughout Civic Center Park.

It's been assumed that Brown, who can only receive a contract worth just under $8 million from the Nuggets this offseason, will sign elsewhere after his excellent postseason — his teammates more than hinted at it after Game 5 on Monday night.

But if Brown, who's clearly enjoyed this past year in the Mile High City, feels he can help deliver back-to-back titles for the Nuggets, maybe that's worth more to him than a big contract on a team with a much more difficult road to a title.

The Nuggets (and the entire city of Denver) would certainly welcome his return.

"Is Brucey B going anywhere? Hell no! We're running this s— back," coach Michael Malone said Thursday.