On Wednesday, Nov. 18, the 2020 NBA Draft will welcome the newest group of rookies to the NBA.
It's a night that most kids dream about, finally being able to meet their goals of getting to the NBA.
But how do you get there? Can a Canadian just like you one day make it to the NBA?
Let's take a look at the story of Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets, one of Canada's best players and someone who dreamed big and made it to the world's biggest stage.
Murray grew up in Kitchener Ontario and began playing basketball at the very young age of three years old. Through hard work and effort, Jamal practiced and worked on his game daily, improving on his skills like shooting, dribbling and passing.
As Jamal got older, he noticed that his hard work and efforts allowed him to play against kids that were even much older than he was. Eventually, Jamal became one of the best players not just in Kitchener but the entire province.
Because Jamal worked hard practicing every day and also worked hard to get good grades in school, he was eventually offered multiple scholarships to play college basketball in the United States. Jamal eventually chose to play at the University of Kentucky, a school with great tradition and history. During his time at Kentucky, Jamal continued to work hard both on basketball and in the class, and he was recognized by NBA scouts.
Along with his family, Jamal made the decision to chase his dream and enter the 2016 NBA Draft. On draft night surrounded by his family and with his many friends watching back in Canada, Jamal was selected seventh overall by the Nuggets.
He made it, his dream finally came true.
Now Jamal isn't just recognized as one of Canada's best players, but he is one of the brightest young stars in the league.
Jamal is a prime example of what you get when you work hard and try your best at every opportunity.
Jamal worked hard, maintained good grades and was able to achieve his dream of one day playing in the NBA. He's one of many Canadians who grew up loving basketball and now many kids around the world hope to be just like him one day.
Is there an NBA player that you hope to be like one day?
