Susijeng’s Alex Murphy, 30, was a top prospect in the United States, but only now debuted in the prestigious competitions – tells about his turning point

On the app and on the website, you can see live highlights of Susijeng’s matches and Lauri Markkanen’s matches at the World Championships. Finland will next face Japan on Sunday from 15:10.

OKINAWA.

12 years ago Alex Murphy was a hot name in US basketball. In some assessments, he was even among the top ten in 2012 among those starting his university. Murphy was followed by numerous top universities.

The son of an American father and a Finnish mother eventually chose Duke. Murphy decided to start even a year earlier than normal in college. Duke is a successful team led by one of the greatest basketball coaches ever Mike Krzyzewski.

A year after his university decision, in the summer of 2012, Murphy played for the first time in the youth national team in a Finnish shirt. He was Finland’s best basket maker in the under-20 B-division European Championships. This fall, however, Murphy is only playing for the first time in Susijeng’s shirt in the prestigious competition.

What exactly happened? With top promise, why did it take so long from the first invitation to the national team before the invitation to the prestigious competition came?

The short answer is that injuries and bad luck. Already in one of the first practices, Murphy got a concussion. The season of income became difficult. The following year, Murphy decided on a new twist. He transferred to another top university in Florida.

It had been another of the pier’s favorite spots when Murphy first chose his university. After a great first season in Florida, at the beginning of the second season, the sole of the foot developed tendon membrane degeneration, plantar fasciitis. A new leg injury then came right at the beginning of the next season. Murphy played only one more game in Florida.

However, he did not want to end his college games with these injuries. Murphy decided to apply for a waiver for the sixth playing year and got it. He ended his college years at Northeastern University with an exemplary season.

Murphy was able to start his professional career in Joensuu Kataja Basket in Finland. Injuries once again disrupted playing. The road still continued forward to the Hungarian premier league before a decent stop came.

Murphy got another leg injury right in the fall season. In November, after canceling the contract, he went back to his home in the United States. There was quite a list of various leg injuries behind: stress injuries, some tears and degeneration of the tendon membrane.

The decision to leave my home region became a turning point in my career.

Murphy spent the rest of the season at his old friend, the University of Florida, rehabbing his leg. He wanted to make sure the leg would last much longer than another year or two of playing basketball.

– It was probably my best decision to come home after Hungary. Since my time in Florida, I’ve had a routine. At that time, I clicked. I’m a professional and I have to take care of my body to be able to play basketball at the highest level, says Murphy.

Murphy learned that there is much more to playing than just the action on the basketball court itself. He describes routines as several small things. Among other things, yoga, stretching, massage, improving the diet and strengthening the legs.

– I rehabilitated my legs with the Florida University coaching team. The people in Florida are amazing. I am forever grateful to them. Not just from my time playing there, but especially from that time as well. They allowed me to come back and do all the rehabilitation stuff there, Murphy praises.

The importance of family is enormous

Now the career has turned on new tracks again. The player who played in Japan for the previous two seasons signed a contract with the traditional club Estudiantes in the second tier of Spain just before the World Cup.

During the most difficult moments of his career, Murphy also received support from his family. Alex Murphy is very close to the rest of his family with his brothers Erik and Tomas and parents Jay and Päivi.

In Susijeng, among other things, familiar from the 2014 World Cup team and the 2017 European Championship home games Erik Murphy still playing in Japan. He and Päivi’s mother arrived on the spot in Okinawa to watch Alex’s competition debut in Susijeng.

According to Murphy, family means a lot to him.

– It is special that Erik and my mother have come here. It has made this week even better, says Murphy.

He describes his family members as the most important people in his life.

– When things get difficult, I lean on my family. I love all four members of my family. We are really close. We are like best friends and we communicate all the time.

After breaking the cycle of injuries, we also saw the fulfillment of two brothers’ dreams when Erik and Alex Murphy played on the same team at Japan’s second highest level in the Fukushima Firebonds.

– It was unbelievable. We had talked about playing together for many years. We played on the same team in high school. We always talked that if there was an opportunity to play together, it would be great. Even in the same country, and not necessarily in the same team. That season was great, Murphy says.

“The World Cup can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience”

Last year, Alex Murphy made a personal decision to withdraw from the national team ring towards the European Championships. He has justified the matter, among other things, by saying that he wanted to get a new contract in Japan.

– When there were a couple of weeks before the start of the national team camp at the turn of June-July, you had to trust your own instincts. That’s why I did it. Of course, I thought about it a lot, but the decision was all about instinct. It felt like the right solution, Murphy justifies his decision a little over a year later.

Now life has thrown so much that Murphy will meet in the national team jersey on Sunday in Okinawa, Japan. In the hall where he played against the future Japanese champion last season. Murphy knows very well the strengths of the Japanese national team.

– The Japanese are skilled and play quickly from the basket. They use their speed to their advantage. Their game is fun to watch, Murphy describes.

Now 30, Murphy believes he has yet to play the best basketball of his career. Before the upcoming club team season, the focus is still only on Susijeng.

– Of course we hope that we will still play in the World Cup, but you never know. This could be a once in a lifetime experience. I’m trying to make the most of this. I’m really grateful for where I am now, says Murphy.