BEFORE Jamal Murray took over the NBA — he was a babyface high school kid playing on a loaded team.
The 26-year-old NBA Champion with the Denver Nuggets looked utterly unrecognizable in a recently-emerged throwback image from his high school basketball days.
ESPN uncovered snaps of Murray during his time at Orangeville High School in Ontario, Canada, where he shared the floor with teammate and future NBA player Thon Maker.
In the photo, Murray is sporting a clean-shaven face while posing in a group photo for his school.
NBA fans flooded the comments section with reactions and jokes about Murray's photo, with many stunned that he played with Maker in high school.
"Jamal Murray and prime Thon Maker had to go crazy," this fan said.
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Another said: "Orangeville, oh man. I didn't know they had Thon back then with Murray!"
A third joked he looked like the Celtics coach: "Jamal Murray looks like Joe Mazzulla in his hs pic."
Following his senior season at Orangeville, every primary recruiting site viewed him as a 5-star prospect.
He received a scholarship to play under legendary head coach John Calipari at the University of Kentucky.
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Murray played one season for the program, had a stellar freshman season, and was named third-team All-American by the Associated Press.
He was also named to the All-SEC First Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team.
The Nuggets selected Murray with the No.7 pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft.
Murray has appeared in 428 games for the Nuggets, starting in 354, averaging 17 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds throughout his career.
He has spent eight seasons and has been a consistent force in the NBA, but he missed all of the 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL midway through the 2020-21 season.
However, after returning from his injury, the Nuggets won the NBA title in the 2022-23 season, defeating the Miami Heat 4-1 to capture the franchise's first championship.
