Jamal Murray facts for kids
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Murray with the Denver Nuggets in 2020
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| No. 27 – Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 23, 1997 Kitchener, Ontario, Canada |
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| High school | Grand River (Kitchener, Ontario) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Kentucky (2015–2016) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2016 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2016–present | |||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–present | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Jamal Murray (born February 23, 1997) is a professional basketball player from Canada. He plays for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also plays for the Canadian national team. Before joining the NBA, he played one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. The Nuggets chose him as the seventh overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
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Early Life and Training
Jamal Murray was born and grew up in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. His mother, Sylvia, is from Syria, and his father, Roger Murray, was born in Jamaica. Jamal also has a younger brother named Lamar.
Jamal's father was a runner and basketball player. He even played against famous boxer Lennox Lewis when they were young. Jamal started playing basketball very early. When he was three, he could play for hours. By age six, he was playing in a league for ten-year-olds.
When Jamal was 12 or 13, he started playing against older, more experienced high school and college players. His father trained him with many basketball drills and kung fu exercises. This training included meditation. Jamal's father was a big fan of Bruce Lee. Jamal says Lee's ideas helped him with his basketball game.
High School Basketball
Murray first went to Grand River Collegiate Institute in Kitchener. Later, he moved to Orangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario. His father was an assistant coach there.
At Orangeville Prep, Jamal and another talented player, Thon Maker, played together. They helped their team beat many American schools. In 2013, Jamal was named MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the Jordan Brand Classic International Game. He was the second Canadian to win this award. In 2015, he scored 30 points and was named MVP at the Nike Hoop Summit.
Jamal was also named MVP of the 2015 BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game. This game features the best high school players in Canada. He also played AAU basketball for a team called CIA Bounce.
College Basketball Career
On June 24, 2015, Jamal decided to play college basketball for Kentucky. He played for coach John Calipari. In his first year (2015–16), he was on important lists for top college players.
He played in 36 games, averaging 20.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. He shot 40.8% from three-point range. After his first season, he was named a third-team All-American. He also made the All-SEC First Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team. His 20.0 points per game was the most ever by a freshman at Kentucky. It was also the most for any player during Coach Calipari's time there.
Jamal led the Wildcats to a top ranking early in the season and an SEC title. They had seven future NBA players on their team. In April 2016, Murray decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would leave college early.
Professional Career
Denver Nuggets (2016–present)
Starting in the NBA
On June 23, 2016, the Denver Nuggets picked Jamal Murray as the seventh overall player in the 2016 NBA draft. He signed his first contract with the Nuggets on August 9, 2016. In his first season, he showed his skills. On February 17, 2017, he was named MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge. He scored 36 points and had 11 assists in that game. At the end of the season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. This means he was one of the best new players in the league.
In the 2017–18 season, Murray continued to improve. He scored a career-high 32 points on November 11, 2017. He also had a 38-point game on January 22, 2018. His free-throw percentage was very high, ranking fifth in the league.
Playoff Success and Big Games
On November 5, 2018, Murray scored a career-high 48 points against the Boston Celtics. He also set a new record for himself with 15 assists in a game on December 18. On December 29, he scored 46 points and made nine three-pointers.
In the 2019 NBA playoffs, Murray had some amazing games. In one playoff game against the Portland Trail Blazers, he scored 34 points. He scored 34 points again in the next game.
In 2019, Murray signed a big contract extension with the Nuggets. On November 17, 2019, he scored 39 points and had 8 assists. He also had a career-high 6 steals in another game. He made several game-winning shots, including one against the Phoenix Suns in overtime.
NBA Bubble and Comebacks
During the 2020 NBA playoffs, which took place in a special "NBA Bubble" due to the pandemic, Murray played incredibly well. In the first round against the Utah Jazz, he scored 36 points in Game 1. In Game 4, he scored a career-high 50 points! In Game 6, he scored 50 points again, helping the Nuggets win and force a Game 7.
On September 15, in Game 7 against the Los Angeles Clippers, Murray scored 40 points. He led the Nuggets to a win, helping them reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2009. The Nuggets made history by coming back from being down 3–1 in a series twice in one postseason. They eventually lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
Injury and Return
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On February 19, 2021, Murray scored another career-high of 50 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was the first player in NBA history to score 50 points without trying any free throws in that game.
However, on April 12, Murray suffered a serious injury. He tore a ligament (ACL) in his left knee. This meant he would be out for a long time. He had surgery on April 21 and missed the entire 2021–22 season. Without him, the Nuggets lost in the first round of the playoffs.
NBA Championship Victory
On October 19, 2022, Murray played his first game in 18 months after his injury. He scored 12 points. On December 8, he made a game-winning three-pointer against the Portland Trail Blazers. He continued to get stronger, scoring a season-high 41 points on February 4, 2023. On March 10, he became the Nuggets' all-time leader in three-pointers made.
In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Murray was a key player. He scored 40 points in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This was his fifth 40-point playoff game, a record for the Nuggets. In the Western Conference Finals, he scored 37 points in Game 2, helping the Nuggets come back to win. He scored 37 points again in Game 3.
The Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers (won 4-0) and reached their first-ever NBA Finals! In the 2023 NBA Finals, Murray and his teammate Nikola Jokić made history. They became the first teammates in NBA history to both get 30-point triple-doubles in the same Finals game. In Game 5, Murray helped the Nuggets win their first NBA championship! He averaged 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 10.0 assists in the Finals.
In the 2024 NBA playoffs, Murray continued to hit clutch shots. He made a game-winning shot over Anthony Davis in Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers. He also made another game-winning shot in Game 5, sending the Nuggets past the Lakers. The Nuggets later lost in the Conference Semifinals.
On September 7, 2024, Murray signed a new contract with the Nuggets. On January 14, 2025, he scored a season-high 45 points against the Dallas Mavericks.
Career Statistics
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Denver | 82* | 9 | 21.5 | .404 | .334 | .883 | 2.6 | 2.1 | .6 | .3 | 9.9 |
| 2017–18 | Denver | 81 | 80 | 31.7 | .451 | .378 | .905 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 1.0 | .3 | 16.7 |
| 2018–19 | Denver | 75 | 74 | 32.6 | .437 | .367 | .848 | 4.2 | 4.8 | .9 | .4 | 18.2 |
| 2019–20 | Denver | 59 | 59 | 32.3 | .456 | .346 | .881 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 1.1 | .3 | 18.5 |
| 2020–21 | Denver | 48 | 48 | 35.5 | .477 | .408 | .869 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 1.3 | .3 | 21.2 |
| 2022–23† | Denver | 65 | 65 | 32.8 | .453 | .398 | .832 | 4.0 | 6.2 | 1.0 | .2 | 20.0 |
| 2023–24 | Denver | 59 | 59 | 31.5 | .481 | .425 | .853 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 1.0 | .7 | 21.2 |
| Career | 469 | 394 | 30.7 | .452 | .380 | .867 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 1.0 | .3 | 17.5 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Denver | 14 | 14 | 36.3 | .425 | .337 | .903 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 1.0 | .1 | 21.3 |
| 2020 | Denver | 19 | 19 | 39.6 | .505 | .453 | .897 | 4.8 | 6.6 | .9 | .3 | 26.5 |
| 2023† | Denver | 20 | 20 | 39.9 | .473 | .396 | .926 | 5.7 | 7.1 | 1.5 | .3 | 26.1 |
| 2024 | Denver | 12 | 12 | 38.5 | .402 | .315 | .923 | 4.3 | 5.6 | .8 | .5 | 20.6 |
| Career | 65 | 65 | 38.8 | .459 | .389 | .911 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 1.1 | .3 | 24.2 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Kentucky | 36 | 36 | 35.2 | .454 | .408 | .783 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 1.0 | .3 | 20.0 |
Playing for Canada
Murray has also played for the Canadian national team. In 2013, he helped Canada win a bronze medal at the FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship. He averaged 17 points per game in that tournament.
In 2015, he played for Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games. He helped his team win a silver medal. He averaged 16.0 points per game there.
In 2022, Murray committed to play for the Canadian senior men's national team for three years. He was named to Canada's team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Awards and Honors
- NBA
- NBA Champion: 2023
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 2017
- Rising Stars Challenge MVP: 2017
- College
Personal Life
Jamal Murray is in a relationship with Harper Hempel. She was also a student at the University of Kentucky.
See also
In Spanish: Jamal Murray para niños
- List of NBA career free throw percentage leaders
- List of NBA single-game playoff scoring leaders
