.jpg) Murray with theDenver Nuggets in 2020 | |
| No. 27 – Denver Nuggets | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1997-02-23)February 23, 1997 (age 28) Kitchener, Ontario, Canada |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | Kentucky (2015–2016) |
| NBA draft | 2016: 1st round, 7th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Denver Nuggets |
| Playing career | 2016–present |
| Career history | |
| 2016–present | Denver Nuggets |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Jamal Murray (born February 23, 1997) is a Canadian professionalbasketball player for theDenver Nuggets of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season ofcollege basketball for theKentucky Wildcats. Murray was selected by the Nuggets as the seventh overall pick in the2016 NBA draft and was a key contributor to the team's first NBA championship run in2023, becoming the ninthCanadian to win an NBA title.[1] In 2026, Murray was named an NBA All-Star. He also representsCanada in international basketball competitions.
Murray was born and raised inKitchener, Ontario, the son of Sylvia (who is fromSyria) and Roger Murray (who was born inJamaica and moved toCanada at age nine).[2][3][4] He also has one younger brother, Lamar. His father rantrack and field and played basketball in his youth, notably competing againstLennox Lewis, a Kitchener resident, before Lewis began hisprofessional boxing career.[2][3]
When Murray was three years old, he could play basketball "for hours" and at age six played in a league for ten-year-olds.[5][3] By the age of 12 or 13, he began playingpick-up games against top high school and college players. His father put him through many basketball drills andkung fu exercises, includingmeditation.[5][3] Murray's father, a lifelong fan ofBruce Lee, employed Lee's teachings when he raised his son, and Murray has credited Lee for influencing the way he approaches basketball.[6]
Murray attendedGrand River Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, later transferring toOrangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario, where his father served as an assistant coach.[7] He and fellow prospectThon Maker formed a duo that helped Orangeville Prep defeat many American schools.[3]
At the 2013 Jordan Brand Classic International Game, Murray was named MVP, becoming the second Canadian to win the award afterDuane Notice.[8] At the 2015Nike Hoop Summit, Murray scored a game-high 30 points and was named the MVP.[9][10]
Murray was named MVP of the 2015BioSteel All-Canadian Basketball Game, which includes the top high school players in Canada.[2]
Murray playedAAU basketball for the CIA Bounce.[5]
On June 24, 2015, Murrayreclassified to the class of 2015 and committed toKentucky to play for coachJohn Calipari.[11][12][13] As a freshman in 2015–16, he was featured on the Midseason Top 25 list for theJohn R. Wooden Award,[14] and was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for theNaismith Trophy.[15] He appeared in 36 games and averaged 20.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 40.8% from three-point range. Following his freshman season, Murray was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.[16] Murray also made the All-SEC First Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team.[17] Murray's 20.0 points per game are the most by any freshman in Kentucky's program history and the most for any player in John Calipari's tenure as head coach.[18]
He led the Wildcats, who had seven future NBA players on the roster, to a #1 ranking early in the season and the SEC title prior to being upset by 5-seedIndiana in the second round ofMarch Madness. In April 2016, Murray declared for theNBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.[19]
On June 23, 2016, Murray was selected by theDenver Nuggets as the seventh overall pick in the2016 NBA draft.[20][21] On August 9, 2016, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Nuggets.[22] On November 13, 2016, he scored a then career-high 19 points in a 112–105 loss to thePortland Trail Blazers.[23] He topped that mark on November 22, scoring 24 points in a 110–107 win over theChicago Bulls.[24] On December 1, he was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November.[25] On February 17, 2017, Murray was named MVP of theRising Stars Challenge after posting a game-high 36 points (9-14 3FG) and a game-high 11 assists in Team World's 150–139 victory over Team USA.[26] On April 7, 2017, he scored a career-high 30 points in a 122–106 win over theNew Orleans Pelicans.[27] At the season's end, he was named to theNBA All-Rookie Second Team.[28]
On November 11, 2017, Murray scored a career-high 32 points in a 125–107 win over theOrlando Magic.[29] Six days later, he had a 31-point effort in a 146–114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.[30] On January 22, 2018, he scored a career-high 38 points, including a three-point play in the final minute, as the Nuggets beat thePortland Trail Blazers 104–101.[31] On February 1, 2018, he had a 33-point effort in a 127–124 win over theOklahoma City Thunder.[32] His 90.5% free-throw percentage was fifth in the league and the 10th highest in team history.[33][34]
On November 5, 2018, Murray scored a career-high 48 points in a 115–107 win over theBoston Celtics.[35] On December 18, he had 22 points and a career-high 15 assists in a 126–118 win over theDallas Mavericks.[36] On December 29, he scored 46 points and made a career-high nine 3-pointers in a 122–118 win over thePhoenix Suns.[37] On January 3, he scored 17 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' 117–113 win over theSacramento Kings.[38] On January 17, he scored 22 of his 25 points in the third quarter of the Nuggets' 135–105 win over the Bulls.[39] On February 6, after missing six games with a sprained left ankle, Murray had 19 points and 11 assists in a 135–130 loss to theBrooklyn Nets.[40] In Game 3 of the Nuggets' second-round playoff series against the Trail Blazers, Murray had a then playoff career-high 34 points in a 140–137 quadruple-overtime loss.[41] In Game 4, he again scored 34 points in a 116–112 win.[42]
On the first day of free agency period, Murray signed a contract extension of a 5-year, $170 million maximum deal with the Nuggets.[43]
On November 17, 2019, Murray recorded a season-high 39 points and 8 assists, including seven three-pointers, in a 131–114 win over theMemphis Grizzlies.[44] Three days later, during a 105–95 victory over theHouston Rockets, Murray recorded a career-high 6 steals, along with scoring 10 points and adding 9 assists.[45] On December 23, Murray scored 28 points and would knock down a game-winning step-back jumper against thePhoenix Suns with 2.5 seconds remaining in overtime to secure a 113–111 road victory.[46] On January 4, 2020, he tied his season-high 39 points in a 128–114 loss to theWashington Wizards.[47] After missing ten games due to an ankle sprain suffered againstCharlotte on January 15,[48][49] Murray returned to have one of the best stretches of his career, averaging 31.3 points per game over a four-game stretch, including 36 points on 14-of-17 shooting and six three-pointers against the Suns on February 8.[50] On March 4, Murray hit yet another game-winner, making an off-balance jumper with 4.5 seconds remaining in regulation to seal a 114–112 victory over the Hornets while capping off an 18-point, 6-assist performance.[51]
On August 17, during the Nuggets' first round matchup with theUtah Jazz in the2020 NBA playoffs, Murray recorded 36 points and 9 assists, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead the Nuggets to a 135–125 Game 1 victory.[52] In Game 4 six days later, Murray erupted for a career-high 50 points, along with 11 rebounds and 7 assists, in a 129–127 loss to the Jazz. WithDonovan Mitchell scoring 51, it was the first time in NBA playoff history that two opponents scored at least 50 points in the same game.[53][54] In a potential elimination game in Game 5 with Denver down 3–1 in the series, Murray recorded 42 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists to lead the Nuggets to a 117–107 win and force a Game 6, where Murray again scored 50 points, shooting 9–12 from three and helping the Nuggets extend the series to a Game 7 with a 119–107 victory.[55][56] Following Game 6, Murray became emotional during the postgame interview withTNT’s Jared Greenberg, addressingracial injustice, as well as honoringGeorge Floyd andBreonna Taylor, as each of their pictures were on his shoes.[57]
On September 15, in Game 7 against theLos Angeles Clippers, Murray scored 40 points while hitting six three-pointers, leading the Nuggets to a series-clinching 104–89 win to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since2009. With the win, the Nuggets became the first team in NBA history to comeback from multiple 3–1 deficits in a single postseason.[58] However, the Nuggets would go on to lose in the Western Conference Finals in five games to theeventual NBA championLos Angeles Lakers, with Murray recording 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists in the lone Denver victory in Game 3.[59]
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On February 19, 2021, Murray scored a then career–high 50 points in a 120–103 win over theCleveland Cavaliers.[60] During the game he became the first player in NBA history to score 50 points without attempting a free throw, as well as being the second player to get 50 points while shooting more than 80 percent from the field and from three-point range.[61][62] On April 12, Murray suffered atorn ACL on his left knee during a game against theGolden State Warriors. The following day, the Nuggets announced Murray would be out indefinitely.[63] On April 21, Murray underwent surgery on the torn ACL on his left knee. The same day Nuggets announced that he remained out indefinitely.[64][65] Murray averaged a career-high 21.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.3 steals, and shot a career-high 47.7% FG and 40.8% 3FG while playing 35.5 minutes per game.[66]
Although he was never officially shut down for the season, Murray missed the entire 2021–22 campaign while recovering from his ACL tear.[67] Without Murray, the Nuggets lost in 5 games to theGolden State Warriors during the first round of the playoffs.[68]
On October 19, 2022, Murray played in his first game in eighteen months, scoring 12 points in 26 minutes of playing time during a 123–102 loss to theUtah Jazz.[69] On December 8, Murray scored 21 points including a game-winning three-pointer in a 121–120 win over thePortland Trail Blazers.[70] On January 9, 2023, Murray scored a then-season-high 34 points in a 122–109 win over theLos Angeles Lakers.[71] On February 4, Murray scored a season-high 41 points, along with five rebounds and seven assists in a 128–108 win over theAtlanta Hawks.[72] On March 10, in a game against theSan Antonio Spurs, Murray made his 805th career three-pointer and surpassedWill Barton to become the all-time leader in three-pointers made in Nuggets history.[73] His 172 three-pointers was fifth in franchise history, but second that season behind teammateMichael Porter Jr.'s 188.[34]
In Game 2 of the Nuggets' first round playoff series against theMinnesota Timberwolves, Murray scored 40 points in a 122–113 win. This was his fifth 40-point postseason game, passingAlex English for the franchise record.[74] In Game 1 of theWestern Conference Semifinals, Murray recorded 34 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists in a 125–107 win over thePhoenix Suns.[75] In Game 2 of theWestern Conference Finals, Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, along with 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals, propelling the Nuggets to a 108–103 come-from-behind win over theLos Angeles Lakers for a 2–0 lead in the series.[76] In Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, Murray scored 30 of his 37 points in the first half, along with seven rebounds and six assists in a 119–108 win, helping the Nuggets take a commanding 3–0 series lead.[77] Murray was again an integral part of the Nuggets during Game 4, during which he scored 25 points en route to a 113–111 victory. With the win, the Nuggets completed a 4-game sweep of the Lakers and advanced to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance. He also became the first player in NBA history to average 30 points on 50/40/90 shooting in the Conference Finals.[78]
In Game 1 of theNBA Finals, Murray put up 26 points and 10 assists in a 104–93 win over theMiami Heat. He andNikola Jokić also became only the second pair of teammates in NBA history to each put up at least 25 points and 10 assists in an NBA Finals game sinceMagic Johnson andJames Worthy in the1987 NBA Finals.[79] In Game 3, Murray posted a 30-point triple-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 109–94 win over the Heat. He and Jokić became the first teammates in NBA history (regular season or playoffs) to record 30-point triple-doubles in the same game.[80] In Game 4, Murray put up 15 points and 12 assists in a 108–95 win over the Heat. He also became the first player in NBA history to put up at least 10 assists in each of his first four Finals games.[81] In Game 5, Murray put up 14 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in a 94–89 win over the Heat to help lead the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in franchise history. He also averaged 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per game in the Finals, joiningMagic Johnson,Michael Jordan, andLeBron James as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 10 assists per game in an NBA Finals series.[82][83]
On April 22, 2024, in Game 2 of thefirst round of the playoffs against theLos Angeles Lakers, Murray put up 20 points along with a buzzer-beating, game-winningfadeaway jump shot overAnthony Davis in a 101–99 victory, completing the Nuggets' 20-point comeback and giving the Nuggets a 2–0 series lead.[84][85] A week later, Murray suffered a strained calf in a Game 4 loss. Despite this, he scored 32 points, including a 14-foot game-winning shot with 1.5 seconds left in a 108–106 Game 5 victory, thus sending the Denver Nuggets past the Lakers to the Western Conference Semifinals.[86][87] He also became the first player to score two go-ahead shots in the final five seconds in the same postseason series.[88]
On May 6, 2024, during Game 2 of theConference Semifinals against theMinnesota Timberwolves, Murray threw a heat pack and towel towards the court while he was on the bench. He was fined $100,000 the next day by the NBA but was not suspended.[89][90] The Nuggets lost the series in seven games, despite a 35-point performance from Murray in a 98–90 closeout loss in a decisive Game 7.[91]
On September 7, 2024, Murray signed a four-year, $208 million contract extension with the Nuggets.[92] On January 14, 2025, Murray scored a then season-high 45 points (32 points in the first half) in a 118–99 win over theDallas Mavericks.[93] On February 12, Murray scored a season-high and career-high 55 points in a 132–121 win over thePortland Trail Blazers.[94] Murray's 55 points was also a record for most points in an NBA game by a Canadian player, breakingShai Gilgeous-Alexander's previous record of 54 points.[95] On April 29, in game 5 of the Nuggets' first round playoff series against theLos Angeles Clippers, Murray had 43 points on 17/26 shooting from the field, making 8/14 3-point attempts in a 131–115 win to go up 3–2 in the series. This performance marked the 6th time Murray had scored 40+ points in a playoff game, the most in franchise history at that time.[96] Denver would go on to beat the Clippers in seven games, but then lost to theOklahoma City Thunder in a hard-fought conference semifinal series, also in seven games.[97]
On December 3, 2025, Murray put up 52 points on 10 three-pointers made in a 135–120 win over theIndiana Pacers. He joinedAaron Gordon as the only players to put up at least 50 points on at least 10 three-pointers made in a game in Nuggets franchise history.[98][99] On December 8, Murray was named the NBA’s Western ConferencePlayer of the Week for Week 7 (December 1 – December 7), for the first time in his career, after averaging 29.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists during a 3–1 week for the Nuggets.[100]
On January 4, 2026, Murray recorded 27 points, six rebounds, and a then career-high 16 assists in a 127–115 loss to theBrooklyn Nets.[101] On January 7, Murray followed up his previous game by notching 22 points, eight rebounds, and a career-best 17 assists in an 114–110 win over theBoston Celtics.[102] On February 1, Murray was named to his firstAll-Star Game as a Western Conference reserve.[103][104]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
Murray represented Canada at the 2013FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship inUruguay, and averaged 17 points, 6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game in leading the team to a bronze medal.[105] He played for theCanadian national team at the2015 Pan American Games, helping the team win a silver medal.[106] His final averages for the tournament were 16.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, while shooting 45.9% from the field.
On May 24, 2022, Murray agreed to a three-year commitment to play with the Canadian senior men's national team.[107] He joined Canada in their preparations for the2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, but eventually decided to miss the competition to recover from his championship-winning NBA season.[108]
He was named to Canada's roster for the2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[109]
Murray is in a relationship with former University of Kentucky schoolmate Harper Hempel.[111] While at Orangeville Prep, Murray along with other athletes lived for two years at the nearby Rosebud Motel, which is also noteworthy as a filming location for high-profile film and television productions such asSchitt's Creek andA History of Violence.[112] In January 2025, it was revealed that Murray is a father to an 18-month old daughter.[113]
Then there's Murray, a native of Canada who was reared on the tenets of Lee's teachings by his father, Roger. Roger was a lifelong fan of Lee's having grown up in the '70s watching the kung fu legend's movies... '[Lee] was a lot smaller than a lot of opponents but still came out and acted like he was a bigger guy,' Murray said. 'I just take that into account when I'm playing basketball.'
If Murray scores like he did Tuesday, they should be all right. Even on a night when Nikola Jokic went 4 for 13 from the field — jarringly inefficient by his MVP standards — Denver was able to lead wire-to-wire thanks to Murray's 17-for-26 night, including eight 3-pointers. It was Murray's sixth 40-point playoff game with the Nuggets — the most in franchise history.
Murray spent some time on the court with his young daughter prior to Wednesday's 126-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Ball Arena. "It means everything. She's getting big. (She's) a year and a half now, so she's starting to understand a lot of different things. It's just cool to see the development and how time goes by," Murray said.
