The Denver Nuggets desperately missed Jamal Murray when he sat out all of last season due to an ACL injury.
The work he has done during the 2022-23 season shows exactly why they were eager for his return.
The star guard has averaged 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game so far this year, which nearly matches career highs from a couple of years ago.
The star is one of the most celebrated on the Nuggets roster.
Happy Birthday, Jamal Murray 🥳pic.twitter.com/mc5YdGfqDA
— NBA Muse (@NBAMuse24) February 23, 2023
On Thursday, the team is celebrating Murray not just because of what he does on the court but because it’s his 26th birthday.
Back on February 23, 1997, Murray was born in Kitchener, Ontario, making him one of the few NBA stars hailing from Canada.
Since joining the league in 2016-17, Murray has only called Denver his home.
He has worked his way up from a bench player in his first year to one of the starters for the surging Nuggets.
The team is finally reaching its full potential this year as they are the top team in the West and have a very strong chance of going far in the playoffs for the first time in seasons.
Denver has been relying on Nikola Jokic a lot over the last few years but now they are fully healthy and functioning.
The return of Murray has had a massive impact on the team, allowing Jokic to breathe a bit more and adding some serious playmaking skills and spacing.
Unfortunately, Murray has missed the last six games due to a knee injury and he is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Therefore, Murray might be celebrating but he may not be playing.
NEXT: Nuggets Star Moves Beyond Missing The All-Star Game
