In Photos: $45,000,000 worth John Calipari reunites with former Wildcats SGA, Jamal Murray and more ahead of OKC vs Denver matchup

John Calipari will forever have a special bond with his former Kentucky players. The Arkansas coach carved some time from his busy schedule to reunite with NBA stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray ahead of Sunday's clash between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets at Paycom Center.

Calipari, who is worth $45 million (per Celebrity Net Worth), posted on X (formerly Twitter) photos of him joining Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray during warmups before the Western Conference showdown. He also got to see former Kentucky player Cason Wallace and former Arkansas stars Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams in action in the NBA matchup.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show in front of his former coach, scoring a game-high 40 points in Oklahoma City's 127-103 victory over Denver. He shot 15-of-32 from the field, including 2-for-11 from beyond the arc. He made a living at the charity stripe, knocking down all eight of his free-throw attempts.

Gilgeous-Alexander also contributed in other departments, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out five assists, and recording three blocks in 35 minutes of action. He has been a key piece for coach Mark Daigneault, leading the Thunder in scoring, assists and steals this season.

Jamal Murray was one of four players to score in double figures for Denver, putting up 17 points on 6-for-17 shooting. He also had four assists, two rebounds and one steal in 42 minutes for the Nuggets, who dropped to third place in the Western Conference with a 41-23 record.

John Calipari leads Arkansas to upset win over Mississippi State

John Calipari's trip to Oklahoma City comes one day after his Arkansas Razorbacks recorded a 93-92 upset victory over the 25th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bud Walton Arena. Five players scored in double digits for the Razorbacks, who improved their overall record to 19-12 after Saturday's win.

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari reacts to a call in the first half of their game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bud Walton Arena. Photo: Imagn

D.J. Wagner led the scoring for Arkansas with 24 points. He shot 7-for-9 from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. He also issued five assists and collected two rebounds in 38 minutes.

Fellow starters Johnell Davis and Trevon Brazile also contributed, scoring 15 and 11 points, respectively. Brazile dominated on the glass as well, grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds to record his second double-double of the season.

Bench players Jonas Aidoo and Billy Richmond III added 21 and 10 points, respectively, for Arkansas. John Calipari will next face the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday.