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Denver Nuggets’ Murray promotes love for game, skill development - Basketball camp in Montego Bay
September 16, 2025
National Basketball Association (NBA) star Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets emphasised the importance of fostering a love for the game, as he helped athletes test and develop their skills at his two-day basketball camp in Montego Bay.
The scorching heat did not hinder the massive turnout of 400 student athletes from sections of the island, who benefited from the outdoor basketball camp at Mount Alvernia High School on September 6 and 7.
"It is super important to give back to a developing country like Jamaica. There is a lot of love for the game out here and I don't want that to go to waste," Murray said.
"I just want to give them the opportunity to have fun and really test their skills. I think that is most important, seeing them shine," added Murray.
The NBA star ran the camp in collaboration with his father, Roger, who was born in Westmoreland. Besides coaching, they provided sporting gear such as shoes, hats, shirts and bags.
No stranger to giving back to the island, in 2019 Murray hosted a successful two-day camp of this magnitude at the Montego Bay Community College. Sports gears and books were donated. In attendance was former Toronto Raptors NBA player, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
"I 100 per cent would love to try and do this as many times as I can," declared Murray.
"I just want it to keep getting better and give them more things to look forward to. It is not only the teachings, but everything we are willing to provide, resource-wise is super important," stated Murray.
The 28-year-old point guard, who is heading into his 10th NBA season, was picked seventh overall in the NBA draft. He played college basketball for the University of Kentucky.
During the camp, Murray was interactive in the drills, showed techniques and gave advice to the youngsters about the sport and their development.
Some of the schools that benefited were Herbert Morrison Technical High, Holland High, The Queen's School, Cornwall College, Mount Alvernia and St James High.
The NBA Star expressed his passion about teaching basketball to young student-athletes and providing them with tools and resources to improve their skills.
"I am having fun and doing what I love. I get to teach the game and all my tricks to the young kids that want to learn," Murray said, noting that it is important.
"I just saw them go about the game with the love for it. They don't really have the tools here to get better, so I am just trying to provide them with some of that," he added.
For Herbert Morrison's Rafael Stephenson, he encouraged other basketball players to participate in such camps to elevate their game.
"I recommend the Jamaican basketball players to enhance their skills and gain exposure. It will bring your game to the next level. Work for these opportunities, you may get scholarships, you never know," urged Stephenson.
"Jamal came to me personally and helped. He saw that I was struggling a bit and it moved my game in a positive way," added Stephenson, who was thankful for the opportunity.
Mount Alvernia's Alyssa Morris stated that drills at the camp were helpful to her game.
"We interacted with an NBA player who helped us to elevate our skills and that was important. It was great socialising and meeting new people," Morris said, noting the drills were challenging.
