Sponsored by New Balance since 2020, Jamal Murray made a name for himself in the NBA with the championship title in 2023 as his ultimate accomplishment. At his side, his sponsor supported his progress by regularly putting him in the spotlight, not by the creation of a signature shoe but by “Blue Arrow” colors on which the arrow of a bow appears to recall his celebration . For the Nuggets leader, it's a mark of attention that he appreciates.
“That's the dream, putting the image you have in your head on a shoe you can wear, the image you have of me [célébrant avec une flèche imaginaire] in a shoe that I will wear on the field. It's a story within a story.”, he confided for The Boardroom.
For Jamal Murray, seeing a New Balance shoe with his custom logo takes him back to his childhood, that of a basketball enthusiast who looked to Derrick Rose as a role model and set himself the goal of reaching the same heights . If a sponsor could highlight his story, that’s great too. And that's what happened.
“It’s all that stuff you think about when you’re a kid. I watched Derrick Rose have his own signature shoe, how he played, and the attention he put into his shoes, because it was made for him and to go with the way he played. All this means that, now, I realize these moments when I play well, what it can look like and what it can mean for young people”he added.
Luxury ambassador of the TWO WXY V5
In recent years, he has benefited from colors in his honor, but also from a “Player Edition” pack including a New Balance 2002R and the TWO WXY V4, in blue and white. An attention which particularly touched the leader of the Nuggets.
“It’s incredible, this partnership that we’ve built. I can always chat with them. It was really cool to also have a shoe to wear outside of basketball. Few players have one. That in itself is a huge thing for me. With my father, we had the chance to create it. It was fun”he slipped. “They came to Denver, we sat in a conference room and we started working, choosing themes, textures, details. We invested a lot in what we wanted to see happen and I am happy with the result.”
This season, he is playing with the TWO WXY V5, again with a colorway bearing his image, called “Bullseye”, and New Balance can count on him to do the best promotion.
“It’s really comfortable, which is the most important part of a shoe. The grip and traction allow me to go where I want, when I want. This is one of the most important things to me, and I can't wait to wear all these new colorways this season. We improve with each model, both in terms of colors and shoes.”
An archer who became king of clutch shooting
The “Blue Arrow” celebration suits him quite well. It's also a way of standing out that New Balance has of course exploited to get people talking about the Canadian leader. There is “Silence The Crowd” by LeBron James, “Night Night” by Stephen Curry, and therefore “Blue Arrow” by Jamal Murray. Again, the history of this trademark dates back to his youth and his college years, when he put the entire Kentucky campus in his pocket.
“It started when I was in college. During my six months at university, I started doing the “Blue Arrow” celebration (the name referring to the blue color of the Kentucky Wildcats jersey, and therefore to the arrow), my friend and me. I would shoot an arrow and he would do the reaction, pretending to fall, to get shot in the heart, and some of my teammates would bring him back to life, and that's how it took off in the whole university »he recalled. “When I came into the league, I did it after every 3-pointer. Then I started doing it only after the big shots. Then I didn't do it for a year or two after I tore my ACL. Now here we go again. I've seen a few guys do it in the football world. There are also guys in the league who do it, like Wesley Matthews. I think I’ve perfected it.”
Over the years, Jamal Murray developed and cultivated this “clutch” side that took Denver to the title.
“There should be no fear. No “What if?” » or “What will happen?” “, he explained about the state of mind to have in these important moments. “Those are the best moments, not just in sport, but in life, when you think about what's going to happen, the repercussions or the consequences. You have to be comfortable in your basketball. I always want to take his shots. When you're a kid, you dream about these shots, and you want to translate that into real life. When that moment comes, I always try to make the most of it and live the moment fully. It all comes from the love for this game, and the desire to do this from a young age.”
| Jamal Murray | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2016-17 | DEN | 82 | 22 | 40.4 | 33.4 | 88.3 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 9.9 |
| 2017-18 | DEN | 81 | 32 | 45.1 | 37.8 | 90.5 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 16.7 |
| 2018-19 | DEN | 75 | 33 | 43.7 | 36.7 | 84.8 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 18.2 |
| 2019-20 | DEN | 59 | 32 | 45.6 | 34.6 | 88.1 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 18.5 |
| 2020-21 | DEN | 48 | 36 | 47.7 | 40.8 | 86.9 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 21.2 |
| 2022-23 | DEN | 65 | 33 | 45.4 | 39.8 | 83.3 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 6.2 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 20.0 |
| 2023-24 | DEN | 59 | 32 | 48.1 | 42.5 | 85.3 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 21.2 |
| 2024-25 | DEN | 11 | 37 | 39.7 | 33.8 | 85.0 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 17.9 |
| Total | 480 | 31 | 45.1 | 37.9 | 86.7 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 17.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
