“Jamal Murray Sparks Controversy with Unexpected Side Trip Between Nuggets Games!”

Some Denver Nuggets fans were not happy about Jamal Murray leaving his team during the middle of a road trip.

Murray was spotted in the audience during UFC 309 headlined by Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y. A clip of the Nuggets guard exchanging contact info with former UFC champ Kamaru Usman made waves on social media.

Under normal circumstances, a high-profile athlete attending another sporting event isn’t exactly the biggest deal. But Saturday’s UFC event was sandwiched right between the two Nuggets road games at New Orleans on Friday and Memphis on Sunday. The two games also happened to be ones where Nikola Jokic was absent for the birth of his son.

Murray’s personal excursion did not sit well with some observers online.

It did not help Murray’s case that he struggled in the two contests, which both resulted in losses. He scored 16 points on 6/16 shooting and 2/8 from three-point range against the Pelicans. He was not much better against the Grizzlies, tallying 13 points on 6/15 shooting with 6 turnovers.

Given the gargantuan contract Murray signed in the offseason, it’s not surprising for Nuggets fans to expect more from their franchise guard.