Murray honoured as area’s top athlete
KITCHENER — Jamal Murray, a rising star for the National Basketball Association’s Denver Nuggets, is the Kitchener-Waterloo and area athlete of the year for 2017.
The 21-year-old Murray, the seventh overall pick in the ’16 NBA draft, followed up a solid rookie campaign by starting 80 games for the Nuggets during the ’17-18 campaign.
The former Grand River Collegiate student, who went on to play for Orangeville Prep and the University of Kentucky, averaged 31.7 minutes per game in his sophomore season and was third in team scoring with 16.7 points per outing.
The six-foot-four point guard was named to the NBA all-rookie second team and was also MVP of the NBA Rising Stars Challenge.
His best individual outing of 2017 came on Nov. 11, when he scored what was then a careerhigh 32 points in a 125-107 win over the Orlando Magic. He topped that mark Jan. 22, scoring 38 points in a 104-101 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Committee chair Jean Howitt said the selection committee started with a database of 975 athletes and pared its list to 12 nominees.
“This year is like all others ... difficult, but this year’s recipient, Jamal Murray, has had an exceptional year and we are very proud to recognize all nominees and finally Jamal Murray as the 2017 athlete of the year,” she said.
Murray is the first able-bodied basketball player to win the award and topped a list of 12 nominees.
Also up for the award were:
• Ultimate (Frisbee) silver medallist Dan Benvenuti, of Kitchener;
• World Para Games swimmer Alec Elliot, a triple-gold medallist, of Waterloo;
• Team Race Clean cyclist Chris Ernst, of Kitchener;
• 24-hour Wilderness Traverse fifth-place finisher Tim Grant, of Waterloo;
• World softball championship bronze medallist Brandon Horn, of Waterloo;
• IIHF world junior hockey championship gold medallist Boris Katchouk, of Waterloo;
• Swiss Cup soccer champion Alyssa Lagonia, of Kitchener;
• World ringette championship silver medallist Paige Nosal, of Waterloo;
• NCAA 1,500-metre champion Jaimie Phelan, of Kitchener;
• National Lacrosse League champ Mike Poulin, of Waterloo;
• Amateur golfer Garrett Rank, of Elmira.
Wheelchair basketball player Tyler Miller won the award in 2012.