Murray Is A Miami Heat Basketball Fan

Written by: Staff on 22nd March 2013

Murray Is A Miami Heat Basketball Fan

epa03621163 Andy Murray of Great Britain hits a return against Lu Yen-hsun from Taiwan in first set during the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 12 March 2013. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

Andy Murray is taking advantage of being given the latest possible start in Miami’s Sony Open. The US Open champion, seeded second behind world no.1 Novak Djokovic, will not play his initial match until tomorrow (Saturday). So tonight the Scot will indulge his new-found passion for basketball and use his season ticket at the American Airlines Arena to watch the Miami Heat, as they face the Detroit Pistons and look for a 25th consecutive victory in the NBA.

Murray spends an increasing amount of time at his second home on Brickell Avenue, overlooking the Biscayne Bay. This year he is expected to total three months. And although his predominant sporting passions outside of tennis are soccer and boxing, his interest for basketball is growing. He has even established a friendly relationship with LeBron James and cited him as an example before Murray’s Olympic and US Open titles.

“I watch a lot of basketball,” Murray said. “And it is a sport I really like. But I never played it when I was growing up, and I am terrible at it.

“Hopefully I will go to the game if I can. I went to see a couple of Miami Heat games before Indian Wells, when they were playing at home. The streak has been unbelievable.”

Murray was a tennis spectator last night as he watched his Miami second round opponent Bernard Tomic beat the French qualifier Marc Gicquel in straight sets.

“I haven’t seen him play that much outside of Australia,” Murray said of Tomic. “But he’s a very, very talented player. He makes it tough for everyone. He’s got a very unorthodox game style.”

Murray maintained just because the likes of Indian Wells winner Rafael Nadal and former world no.1 Roger Federer is out of the mix, there can be no excuse for going into this tournament with any lessened intensity.

“It’s not every tournament where you have to play against Nadal and Federer. Sometimes they lose early or whatever,” said the Scot who won the Miami title in 2009 and was finalist last year.

“You need to make sure that you get into a position in the event where you would have to play them, which is normally in the semi-finals or finals. But, for sure, it’s not as difficult if you don’t have two of the best players ever playing in a tournament.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Andy Murray, ATP tennis news, LeBron James, Miami Heat, Miami Masters, Miami’s Sony Open, Rafael Nadal Bernard Tomic, Sports, Tennis News