Keegan Murray – a name all Sacramento Kings fans have come to love hearing over the past year. After dominating the California Classic with an impressive 41-point performance, Murray was shut down and sent to Las Vegas to train with rising players.
Now, the third player to arise in the Kings’ new big three is headed to Team USA next month for training camp.
Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Houston’s Jalen Green and Sacramento's Keegan Murray are among group of rising American stars who will join Team USA for FIBA World Cup training camp next month, per sources.https://t.co/4TAN0GErUp
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 20, 2023
Murray will appear among other rising NBA stars after his All-Rookie first team year.
Other notable names heading to training camp are Jalen Green, Cade Cunningham, and Chet Holgrem – who just came off a year-long injury that prevented his debut last season.
This opportunity will give Murray plenty of exposure to young stars and more established stars alike, giving him a great opportunity to learn a few things and push himself against the best of the best.
Hopefully, we see Keegan Murray play a large role on the actual Team USA roster as they compete in the FIBA World Cup, which is set to start on August 25th and run through September 10th. The tournament, like the FIFA World Cup, is held every four years. A new generation is coming through to lead Team USA after struggling early in the most recent Olympics.
The FIBA World Cup isn’t necessarily the most prominent event, with players like the newly selected number one pick Victor Wembayama opting out of playing for their country to avoid injury risks and focus on NBA development rather than international glory.
The Sacramento Kings have high hopes for Murray
Kings GM Monte McNair recently praised Keegan Murray and issued challenges for him for the upcoming NBA season:
"“We know we need Keegan to take another step. And one of the ways he can do that is to be more of a second or third option as opposed to a fourth or fifth option.”"
Murray averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game last season.
"“He’s going to be a sophomore in this league and it’s not going to be immediate or perfect. But I’m really happy with what we’ve seen from him. Scoring, I think, is something that comes naturally to him. He’s an incredibly hard worker. He’s been working with De’Aaron [Fox] a lot.”"
Murray will undoubtedly be a franchise player for the Kings in the future, but in the meantime, he will perfect his craft and become the best player he can be.
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