Jamal Murray in 2024: Early Life, High School, NBA Draft, Contract Extension, Awards and Honors

Standing tall at 6 feet 4 inches, Jamal Murray showcases his talent as the point guard for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. Born on February 23, 1997, in Kitchener, Ontario, Murray was the seventh overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. 

Murray's parents, Sylvia (of Syrian descent) and Roger Murray (from Jamaica), have another son named Lamar, who is younger than the Nuggets star. The 27-year-old began playing basketball under his father's guidance initially. His father's influence was such that the young star attending the Grand River Collegiate Institute later transferred to Orangeville Prep, where his dad, Roger, was an assistant coach. Moreover, he and fellow prospect Thon Maker formed a duo that helped Orangeville Prep defeat many schools.

Talking about his high school days, Murray gained a massive reputation as a high-schooler and was named MVP in the 2013 Jordan Brand Classic, becoming the second Canadian, after Duane Notice, to win the award. Also, in the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit, Murray scored a game-high 30 points and was named the MVP. After high school, Murray committed to Kentucky, where he played one year for the Wildcats under coach John Calipari.

The point guard gained starting privileges as a freshman and averaged 20.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 36 games. This feat of his, following his freshman season, earned him an All-American and All-SEC honor before declaring for the NBA draft.

Furthermore, Murray’s on-court success has earned him a decent rating of 87 by the creators of the latest NBA2K game. 

Jamal Murray NBA Career

The Denver Nuggets picked Jamal Murray as the 7th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He gradually rose through the ranks and cemented his place as a starting member of the roster. Moreover, on April 7, 2017, he scored a then career-high 30 points in a 122–106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Following this amazing performance, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team at the season's end.

After inspirational plays as a rookie and a sophomore, the Nuggets went all-out and offered Murray a max 5-year $170 million contract to the sharpshooter. 

Murray broke through during the 2019 season and elevated his performance. He averaged  18.2 points and 4.8 assists during the regular season and took the Nuggets to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009. 

Success followed the following year as an inspired Nuggets team made it all the way to the conference finals in the 2020 NBA playoffs. Murray and Nikola Jokic guided the Nuggets past the LA Clippers team led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, a series that went till a Game 7. 

Murray put up a 40-point performance in the series decider and his wizardry sealed a historic comeback for the Nuggets, the only team to come back from two different 3-1 deficits in postseason history! Interestingly, that's not the only time Murray has created history.

He scored a career-high 50 points in a 120–103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021. In that game, he etched his name in the NBA record books, and that too twice! After becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50 points without attempting a free throw, he became the second player ever to score over 50 points while shooting above 80 percent from the field and three-point range. All this in a single game.

Injury and Comeback

In the same year (2021), Murray suffered a torn ACL on his left knee during a game against the Golden State Warriors. Later, the Nuggets announced Murray would be out indefinitely since he had to undergo surgery.

Murray missed the entire 2021–22 campaign while recovering from his ACL tear. The absence of Murray proved costly for the Nuggets as they succumbed to a 5-game defeat against the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs.

More than a year later (18 months) Murray played in his first game, scoring 12 points in 26 minutes of playing time during a 123–102 loss to the Utah Jazz. However, in 2023, Murray scored a then-season-high 34 points in a 122–109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Later, he scored a season-high 41 points, along with five rebounds and seven assists in a 128–108 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Following that, in a game against the San Antonio Spurs, Murray made his 805th career three-pointer and surpassed Will Barton to become the all-time leader in three-pointers made in Nuggets history. His 172 three-pointer record was the fifth in franchise history. Talk about a comeback!

NBA Championship with Denver Nuggets

In Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic made some serious history. They became just the second pair of teammates ever to each drop at least 25 points and dished out 10 assists in an NBA Finals game. The only other duo to pull this off was Magic Johnson and James Worthy back in the 1987 Finals.

During Game 3, Murray posted a 30-point triple-double in a 109–94 win over the Heat. Moreover, he and Jokić became the first teammates in NBA history to record 30-point triple-doubles in the same game.

He also became the first player in NBA history to put up at least 10 assists in each of his first four Finals games. That's not it, In Game 5, Murray led the team to a 94–89 win over the Heat which gave the Nuggets their first NBA championship in franchise history. Also, he averaged 21.4 points, and 10.0 assists per game in the Finals, joining the likes of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 10 assists per game in an NBA Finals series. After all, there's a reason he's called 'Blue Arrow' and is regarded as one of the greatest postseason and clutch performers in NBA history!

Major Achievements

NBA Champion (2023)

NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2017)

Third-team All-American – AP (2016)

First-team All-SEC (2016)

SEC All-Freshman Team (2016)

Nike Hoop Summit MVP (2015)

BioSteel All-Canadian MVP (2015)

Jordan Brand Classic International MVP (2013)

Jamal Murray Current Contract

Murray signed a max extension with the Nuggets in 2018 for 5 years. The deal earned a guaranteed sum of $158,253,000 and the point guard received $27M as salary in 2021. 

As of 2024, Murray signed a four-year, $208 million contract extension with the Nuggets.

Jamal Murray 2024 Net Worth and Endorsements

Murray scores big not only on the court but also financially! Loads of endorsements and the right financial choices have led Murray to a net worth of $25 Million. His recent financial choices have also helped him achieve this feat.

Moreover, the Nuggets guard has signed endorsement deals with Adidas, Western Union, Lyft, Express, and New Balance.

National Team Career

Murray represented Canada at the 2013 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship in Uruguay. He was a standout player, averaging 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game, which helped the team snag a bronze medal.

Also, he played for the Canadian national team at the 2015 Pan American Games, helping the team win a silver medal.

Back in 2022, Murray agreed to a three-year commitment to play with the Canadian senior men's national team. He also helped Canada in its preparations for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. However, he missed the competition to recover from his championship-winning NBA season.

Moreover, he was named to Canada's roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Age	24
Marital Status	Unmarried (Dating Harper Hempel)
Children	–
NBA Championship Rings	–
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Wingspan	6 ft 5 in (1.99 m)

How to Contact Jamal Murray

Jamal Murray Instagram: jmglitxh27

Jamal Murray Twitter: @BeMore27