KITCHENER -- Jamal Murray has been named the Breakout of the Year by Sport Illustrated.
The award was announced Saturday during an online streaming event.
The Kitchener-raised NBA star, nicknamed the “Blue Arrow”, has had a stellar season with the Denver Nuggets. Sports Illustrated summed up Murray’s accomplishments, calling him a “driving force in Denver’s magical postseason run, which saw the franchise overcome two 3-1 deficits. While a number of his regular-season averages were nearly identical between 2018-19 and 2019-20, Murray’s scoring jumped eight point per contest in last year’s postseason. He scored 30 or more point in six of Denver’s 19 playoff games and posted up multiple 40- and 50-point showings.”
The show also called him a “man whose athleticism and creativity rocked the league this year, with some of the most impossible circus shots we have ever seen.”
When one of the hosts of the award show asked Murray if he ever dreamed of being in the record books next to basketball great Michael Jordan, Murray said he’s setting the bar high.
“You dream of being great, you dream of being the best version of yourself. So I don’t see myself stopping there.”
The other award nominees were Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Washington Mystics forward Myisha Hines-Allen, and Cleveland baseball pitcher Shane Bieber.
