Over the last couple of years, several relationships their favorite players have embarked upon have treated NBA fans. For a time period, however, none of them were as much talked about as the one shared between Jamal Murray and his girlfriend. The year 2020 especially put the duo in the spotlight after an unfortunate leak became a reported embarrassment for them both.

In fact, an official had to restrain the player from lashing out after an NBA fan used the leak to attack him during a game. Nevertheless, the couple put the incident behind them and continue to go strong today. Or do they? Let’s explore how this Denver Nuggets relationship has evolved over time and where it stands today.

Who is Harper Hempel?

Born back in 1997 in the low populated city of Union, Kentucky, Harper Hempel came from a family that already shared a connection with basketball. After all, her father, Richard Hempel, is the co-founder and CEO of eCoachSports, a self-described ‘Sports and Recreation Institution.’ Reports highlight that Richard Hempel’s platform provides online coaching tips and classes from prominent NBA coaches.

According to her LinkedIn, Harpel Hempel pursued her Bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Kentucky, opting for the course that ran from 2014 to 2018. This coincided with Jamal Murray’s sole year as a student at the same university. While it hasn’t been confirmed, there is a high chance that Murray and Hampel first connected during their tenure at the institute in Lexington.

Hempel herself had shown an interest in sports in the past. Thanks to her volleyball skills, she reportedly held a Division 1 Athlete status at her university. Hempel appeared in 17 matches throughout 30 sets during her Junior Year back in 2016. She finished the season with 46 assists. The 45 assists she made in a match against Marquette reportedly placed her amongst one of six players in the “25-point rally scoring era” to have a 45+ helper match. Despite these stats, Hempel didn’t choose to take her volleyball aspiration any further and instead found a new niche.

What is Harper Hempel’s job?

Jamal Murray’s girlfriend was associated with Fact & Fiction, an advertising services company located in Colorado. Over the course of four years and eleven months, she held three different positions within the organization, ranging from Community Manager to Senior Social Media Manager. Hempel left Fact & Fiction in September to become the Head of Partnerships with The Cold Life, a Florida-based organization.

Along with working with several brands in her marketing roles, Hempel has also used the last decade to grow as a photographer. She often shares her work through her official Instagram account, which boasts over 63,100 followers. The same ranges from clips of a West Coast city and the quainter side of the City of Chicago to pictures of beaches and boat rides. Through her work behind the lens, Harper Hempel captures the side of modern nature.

On her website, the now 27-year-old had written, “I enjoy capturing special moments in personalized sessions with individuals and groups. My specialties include senior pictures, family portraits, couples, kids, and groups of friends.”

Do Jamal Murray and Harper Hempel share highlights of their relationship on social media?

Both Jamal Murray and Harper Hempel are quite active on social media, especially on Instagram. Despite this, the duo has restrained from sharing any current updates on their relationship with the public eye. Most of the player’s posts, holding a 4-year, $207.8 million contract, feature updates related to the NBA, including everything from NBA2K25 promotion to the player posing alongside the Larry O’Brien trophy he won in 2023. Meanwhile, Hempel’s IG page has her sharing details of her trips, a few of her photography shots, and highlighting the time she spent with her family.

However, Harper Hempel has a secondary Instagram account. It features photos of her time on the university’s volleyball team and Jamal Murray posing together in several different backgrounds. Given the issue that the couple brought upon themselves back in 2020, it would make sense why they would not choose to share any pictures of themselves together on their main accounts.

What was the controversy surrounding Jamal Murray and Harper Hempel?

For the most part, Jamal Murray and Harper Hempel kept their relationship private from the public eye at the start. Suddenly, someone thrust the same into the faces of NBA fans in 2020. In March of that year, a hacker accessed the Denver Nuggets player’s account. An explicit video featuring the couple engaging in an intimate act ended up making it to Jamal Murray’s Instagram story and was witnessed by several people. While the IG story would have disappeared 24 hours later, it didn’t take long for people to take screenshots and screen recordings; some of it has stayed online even today.

Hempel later confirmed the video’s authenticity by putting up a message on Instagram. She apologized to any “fans, kids, and the public in general” who may have been affected by the graphic content in the video. However, she stated “With that being said, this is OUR personal business and the slandering/sharing of this content needs to be stopped.” Jamal Murray would put up a message, stating, “First and foremost I would like to apologize to my fans. My account has been hacked, currently working on the issue. Thanks.”

In the aftermath of the incident, Harper Hempel deleted her Instagram and X (then Twitter) account before returning to the former platform. Fans trolled Jamal Murray, with one of them even calling him out during a Nuggets-Pistons matchup. Murray got angry, and both on-court officials and Nikola Jokic had to separate him. Since the incident, there have been no updates from both individuals regarding their relationship. Despite this, there has also been no official confirmation that the couple broke up. So, maybe all that fans can do is speculate.