Jamal Murray has had quite a journey to the NBA championship over the last few years.
He has gone from a young upstart to a big playoff performer, only to be dealt a cruel twist of fate that threatened to torpedo his hopes and dreams.
But he worked through it and is now on top of the basketball world.
On Thursday, his Denver Nuggets celebrated their world title with a parade in their hometown, and he rocked a shirt that captured his journey in a succinct way.
NBA on ESPN shared his inspirational shirt.
Playoff Murray ❌
Finals Murray ❌
Champion Murray 🏆 pic.twitter.com/4SHMK0rp19— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 15, 2023
Murray was the No. 7 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft after an excellent freshman year at the University of Kentucky, during which he earned All-SEC First-Team honors.
His rookie season in the pros was quiet, as he started just 10 games, but he started to emerge the year after by averaging 16.7 points a game.
He then made his playoff debut in the 2018-19 season, but it wasn’t until the year after that he started to show people that he was special.
In the 2020 playoffs, he averaged 26.5 points and 6.6 assists a game and had four games with at least 40 points as the Nuggets reached the Western Conference Finals.
But Murray tore his ACL in the spring of 2021, and as a result, he missed the playoffs and all of the following season.
He was forced to go through an agonizing rehab process during which he doubted himself and his future with the team.
But Murray played outstanding ball in this year’s postseason, proving that his 2020 run in the Walt Disney World Resort bubble was no fluke, and now he has a championship ring to show for all his hard work.
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