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 Canadian professional basketball player. He plays for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also plays for the Canadian national team. Murray played one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. The Nuggets chose him as the seventh pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He helped his team win their first NBA championship in 2023.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Start
Jamal Murray was born and grew up in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. His mother, Sylvia, is from Syria, and his father, Roger, is from Jamaica. Jamal has a younger brother named Lamar. His father played basketball and ran track.
Jamal started playing basketball very young. When he was three, he could play for hours. By age six, he played in a league for ten-year-olds. When he was 12 or 13, he started playing against older, more experienced players. His father taught him many basketball drills. He also taught him kung fu exercises, including 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 Journey
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. Jamal and another talented player, Thon Maker, played together. They helped Orangeville Prep beat many top American high school teams.
In 2013, Murray was named MVP (Most Valuable Player) at the Jordan Brand Classic International Game. He was the second Canadian to win this award. In 2015, he scored 30 points at the Nike Hoop Summit and was named MVP again. He also won MVP at the 2015 BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game. This game features the best high school players in Canada. Murray also played AAU basketball for a team called CIA Bounce.
College Career at Kentucky
On June 24, 2015, Jamal Murray decided to join the Kentucky team. He played for coach John Calipari. In his first year (2015–16), he was one of the top players in college basketball. He played in 36 games. He averaged 20.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He also shot 40.8% from three-point range.
After his first season, Murray was named a third-team All-American. He also made the All-SEC First Team. His 20.0 points per game was the most ever by a freshman at Kentucky. It was also the most for any player under coach John Calipari. He led the Wildcats to a top ranking and the SEC title. In April 2016, Murray decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would not play his last three years of college basketball.
Professional Career with the Denver Nuggets
Starting in the NBA (2016–2019)
On June 23, 2016, the Denver Nuggets picked Jamal Murray as the seventh player in the 2016 NBA draft. He signed his first contract with the Nuggets on August 9, 2016. On November 13, 2016, he scored 19 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. He then scored 24 points on November 22 against the Chicago Bulls. In December, he was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month.
On February 17, 2017, Murray was named MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge. He scored 36 points and had 11 assists in that game. On April 7, 2017, he scored a career-high 30 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. At the end of the season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
In the 2017–18 season, Murray continued to improve. He scored 32 points against the Orlando Magic on November 11, 2017. He also scored 38 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 22, 2018. His free-throw percentage was one of the best in the league.
In the 2018–19 season, Murray scored a career-high 48 points against the Boston Celtics on November 5, 2018. He also had a career-high 15 assists against the Dallas Mavericks in December. On December 29, he scored 46 points and made nine three-pointers against the Phoenix Suns. In the 2019 playoffs, Murray had strong performances. He scored 34 points twice against the Trail Blazers in the second round.
Playoff Comebacks and the NBA Bubble (2019–2020)
In 2019, Murray signed a big contract extension with the Nuggets. On November 17, 2019, he scored 39 points and had 8 assists against the Memphis Grizzlies. He also had a career-high 6 steals against the Houston Rockets. Murray made several game-winning shots during this season. One was against the Phoenix Suns in overtime on December 23, 2019. Another was against the Charlotte Hornets on March 4, 2020.
During the 2020 NBA playoffs, which took place in a special "NBA Bubble," 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. He helped the Nuggets come back from a 3–1 series deficit to win. After Game 6, Murray spoke emotionally about racial injustice. He honored George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by putting their pictures on his shoes.
On September 15, 2020, 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. The Nuggets became the first team in NBA history to come back from two 3–1 deficits in one postseason. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
Injury and Return (2020–2023)
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On February 19, 2021, Murray scored a career-high 50 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was the first player in NBA history to score 50 points without trying a free throw. On April 12, Murray suffered a serious injury. He tore his ACL in his left knee during a game. This meant he would be out for a long time. He had surgery on April 21. Murray missed the entire 2021–22 season while recovering.
He returned to play on October 19, 2022, after 18 months. He scored 12 points in his first game back. On December 8, he made a game-winning three-pointer against the Portland Trail Blazers. On February 4, 2023, Murray scored a season-high 41 points against the Atlanta Hawks. On March 10, he became the Nuggets' all-time leader in three-pointers made.
Winning the NBA Championship (2023)
In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Murray was a key player for the Nuggets. In Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he scored 40 points. This was his fifth 40-point playoff game, a record for the Nuggets. In the Western Conference Semifinals, he scored 34 points against the Phoenix Suns.
In Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter. He helped the Nuggets win and take a 2–0 lead. In Game 3, he scored 30 of his 37 points in the first half. The Nuggets won and took a 3–0 lead. They then swept the Lakers (won 4-0) to reach their first-ever NBA Finals. Murray became the first player in NBA history to average 30 points on very high shooting percentages in the Conference Finals.
In Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, Murray had 26 points and 10 assists. He and Nikola Jokić became only the second pair of teammates in NBA history to each have at least 25 points and 10 assists in an NBA Finals game. In Game 3, Murray achieved a 30-point triple-double (34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists). He and Jokić were the first teammates in NBA history to both get 30-point triple-doubles in the same game. In Game 4, he had 15 points and 12 assists. He was the first player to have at least 10 assists in his first four Finals games. 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. He joined a small group of NBA legends to average at least 20 points and 10 assists in an NBA Finals series.
Recent Seasons (2023–present)
On April 22, 2024, in Game 2 of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, Murray made a game-winning shot at the buzzer. This helped the Nuggets win 101–99 after being down by 20 points. A week later, he had a strained calf but still made another game-winning shot in Game 5. This sent the Nuggets past the Lakers. He was the first player to make two game-winning shots in the final five seconds of the same playoff series.
On May 6, 2024, during a playoff game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Murray threw a heat pack onto the court. He was fined $100,000 by the NBA but was not suspended. The Nuggets lost that series.
On September 7, 2024, Murray signed a new four-year contract with the Nuggets. On January 14, 2025, he scored 45 points against the Dallas Mavericks. On February 12, 2025, Murray scored a career-high 55 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. This was also a record for the most points scored by a Canadian player in an NBA game. On April 29, 2025, in a playoff game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Murray scored 43 points. This was his sixth playoff game with 40+ points, which is the most in Nuggets history.
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 |
| 2024–25 | Denver | 67 | 67 | 36.1 | .474 | .393 | .886 | 3.9 | 6.0 | 1.4 | .5 | 21.4 |
| Career | 536 | 461 | 31.3 | .455 | .381 | .870 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 1.0 | .4 | 18.0 | |
NBA 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 |
| 2025 | Denver | 14 | 14 | 41.3 | .444 | .354 | .875 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 1.2 | .8 | 21.8 |
| Career | 79 | 79 | 39.2 | .457 | .383 | .904 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 1.1 | .4 | 23.7 | |
College Statistics
| 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 Team 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 helped the Canadian team win a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games. He averaged 16.0 points per game there.
In May 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
Jamal Murray has received many awards for his basketball skills:
- NBA
- NBA Champion: 2023
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 2017
- Rising Stars Challenge MVP: 2017
- Western Conference Rookie of the Month: October/November 2016
- College
- Third-team All-American – AP (2016)
- First-team All-SEC (2016)
- SEC All-Freshman Team (2016)
- SEC All-Tournament Team (2016)
Personal Life
Jamal Murray is in a relationship with Harper Hempel, who also went to the University of Kentucky. While in high school at Orangeville Prep, Murray and other athletes lived at the Rosebud Motel for two years. In January 2025, it was shared that Murray is a father to a daughter.
Images for kids
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Jamal Murray playing for Kentucky in 2016
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Jamal Murray in 2020
See also
In Spanish: Jamal Murray para niños
