Sacramento Kings rookie Keegan Murray chosen for Rising Stars at NBA All-Star Weekend
Kings rookie Keegan Murray will take his rightful place among the NBA’s best young players at All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City.
Murray on Tuesday was named to the player pool for the Rising Stars tournament, which will be played at 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at Vivint Arena. For the second year in a row, Rising Stars will feature a three-game mini-tournament among four teams comprised of NBA rookies, sophomores and G League players.
A group of honorary coaches will select players for their respective teams. The games will be broadcast live on TNT.
Other rookies and sophomores selected to participate include Paolo Banchero, Jalen Duren, AJ Griffin, Jaden Ivey, Walker Kessler, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Jabari Smith Jr., Jeremy Sochan, Jalen Williams, Jose Alvarado, Scottie Barnes, Josh Giddey, Jalen Green, Quentin Grimes, Bones Hyland, Evan Mobley, Trey Murphy III, Alperen Sengun and Franz Wagner. The seven G League players chosen to participate were Scoot Henderson, Sidy Cissoko, Mojave King, Kenneth Lofton Jr., Leonard Miller, Mac McClung and Scotty Pippen Jr.
The NBA announced today the 28 players who have earned spots to compete in the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars.
The player pool consists of 11 NBA rookies, 10 second-year NBA players and seven NBA G League players. pic.twitter.com/hxlHTYd0OT— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 31, 2023
The Kings selected Murray out of Iowa with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward is averaging 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds. He is shooting 45.2% from the field and an impressive 42.2% from 3-point range.
Murray was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month after averaging 12.7 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 46% from the field and 46.4% from long distance. He has been even better in January, averaging 14.0 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 51% from the field and 49.5% from beyond the arc.
The Rising Stars games were established in 1994 as the Rookie Challenge. The current rookie-sophomore format was adopted in 2000.
Former Kings who were chosen for the event include Davion Mitchell, Tyrese Haliburton, De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Marvin Bagley III, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Thomas, DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspio, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Williams, Michael Stewart, Tyus Edney, Brian Grant and Michael Smith.
Bogdanovic was named MVP in 2018. Evans was named MVP in 2010.
