By Antonio R. Harvey | OBSERVER Staff Writer
The NBA announced that Sacramento Kings rookie forward Keegan Murray has been named to the 2023 Jordan NBA Rising Stars.
The NBA’s annual showcase of premier young talent is set for Friday, Feb. 17 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City as part of NBA All-Star 2023.
For the second straight season, Rising Stars will feature a three-game mini-tournament among four teams. Murray will join 28 players which include 11 NBA rookies, 10 NBA sophomores and seven NBA G League players.
In his debut season with Sacramento, Murray has posted averages of 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 29.7 minutes per game in 47 games (45 starts). Among rookies, the former Iowa product ranks first in 3-point field goals made (119) and 3-point shooting percentage while also sitting fourth in total points (579) and points per game.
This season, Murray is one of nine players to total at least 500 points and 100 made 3s while shooting 40.0% or better from beyond the arc, tying Luka Doncic for the second-fewest games to reach 100 career triples (42 games).
Murray earned Rookie of the Month honors for December after averaging 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 28.6 minutes per game in 14 games (14 starts).
Sacramento has featured 17 players in the Rookie or Rising Stars Challenge dating back to 1994, with the most recent being Davion Mitchell in 2022. Bogdan Bogdanovic (2018) and Tyreke Evans (2010) hold the distinction as the two rookies in franchise history to have earned MVP honors of the game.