Troy Brandon Murphy (born May 2, 1980) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who played twelve seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). Murphy was born in Morristown, New Jersey but grew up in Sparta Township. He attended the Delbarton School and the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

, both of which are Roman Catholic schools. During his time at Notre Dame, he was a two-time consensus

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n before declaring himself for the

2001 NBA draft The 2001 NBA draft took place on June 27, 2001, in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted with the first overall pick in the history of the NBA. The selection of Kwame Brown by the Washington Wizar ...

, where he was selected by the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

with the 14th overall pick.Stephenson, Colin
"Delbarton product Troy Murphy starts in Nets debut"
''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition. In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...

'', November 4, 2010; accessed February 15, 2011. Murphy has since graduated from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

High school

Murphy was a standout performer for Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey and coach Dan Whalen. His breakout year was as a sophomore when he averaged 20.5 points per game and 11.8 rebounds, earning first team all-county honors. He followed up his sophomore year with a successful junior campaign, averaging 23.5 points and 10.5 rebounds and All-State honors. His senior year would be his most successful season as he led Delbarton to a 20–6 record and the state quarterfinals. For the season he averaged 33.0 points per game (on 56.8 percent shooting), to lead the state in scoring along with 14.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game. At the end of the season he was named Morris County Player of the Year by the ''

Newark Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition. In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...

'' and the most valuable player for his team at the prestigious Capital Classic in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

College career

Murphy played college basketball at the

. He led the Irish in scoring and rebounding in each of his three seasons, averaging 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds during the 2000–01 campaign. A consensus first-team All-American as a junior and sophomore, he is one of 10 Irish players to earn consensus All-American honors (which includes six players named on more than one occasion). Murphy shared Big East Conference Player of the Year honors with Troy Bell of

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...

in 2001 and joined an elite group of four players—

Chris Mullin Christopher Paul Mullin (born July 30, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player, executive and coach. He is a five time NBA All-Star and four time All-NBA Team member. He is also two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a two-time ...

( St. John's),

Patrick Ewing Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who is a basketball ambassador for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played most o ...

( Georgetown) and Richard Hamilton (

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

)—as the only two-time winners of the award. He was named to the John R. Wooden Award All-America Team for the second consecutive year, finished fifth in the balloting for the Wooden Award and was among the top three finalists for the Naismith player-of-the-year honor. A first-team all-Big East selection for two seasons, Murphy also was named the Big East Rookie of the Year in 1999. He became just the fifth player in Notre Dame history to score more than 2,000 career points and finished his career fifth on the all-time scoring list with 2,011 points. Murphy is the only player to score more than 2,000 points and grab more than 900 rebounds (924) in 94 career games. He left Notre Dame with career averages of 21.4 points and 9.8 rebounds. Murphy was a starter in 93 games during his career and scored in double figures in 92 of those 94 contests. In addition to finishing fifth on the all-time career scoring list, upon his departure from the university, he ranked second in blocked shots (126), free throws made (587) and free throws attempted (755), sixth in rebounding and field goals made (680) and ninth in field goals attempted (1,370). On January 23, 2016, Murphy was inducted into Notre Dame's Ring of Honor.

Professional career

Golden State Warriors (2001–2007)

Murphy was selected 14th overall in the

by the

. After starting slowly, he showed promise toward the end of the season. He realized this promise in his second pro season, averaging a double-double – 11.7 pts and 10.2 boards – and finishing second in Most Improved Player voting. He also started the Rookie Challenge as the Sophomores' power forward. However, his three-point shooting that was a huge part of his college success was nearly absent, as he only attempted 14 three-pointers during the year, making five. He spent the next offseason working extensively on his outside shooting; however, he never got much of a chance to test out his new jumper in 2003–04 after a series of injuries limited him to 28 games, with no starts. However, he did attempt 17 threes in those games. With that part of his arsenal seemingly ready to go, Murphy spent the following offseason working on strength and conditioning as he looked to be a more well-rounded and complete player. While he had one injury scare the next season, he played in 70 games, and rediscovered his three-point shot, attempting nearly three per game. He averaged 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds and finished 22nd in Western Conference All-Star voting that year. His numbers dropped off slightly in 2005–06 to 14.0 and 10.0 per game.

Indiana Pacers (2007–2010)

On January 17, 2007, Murphy was involved in an 8-player trade that sent him,

Mike Dunleavy Jr. Michael Joseph Dunleavy Jr. (born September 15, 1980) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the general manager for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college ba ...

, Ike Diogu, and Keith McLeod to the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

for Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, and Josh Powell. During his time with the Pacers, Murphy's three-point shot improved even more. Against the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

on March 10, 2009, Murphy made seven out of his first eight three-pointers in the first half.

New Jersey Nets (2010–2011)

On August 11, 2010, the Pacers traded Murphy to the

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

in a four-team, five-player deal.

Boston Celtics (2011)

On February 23, 2011, the Warriors reacquired Murphy and a second round pick in exchange for Brandan Wright and

Dan Gadzuric Daniel Gadzuric (; born 2 February 1978) is a Dutch-Serbian former professional basketball player. Gadzuric, a center, attended preparatory school at The Governor's Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, before playing college basketball for the ...

. On February 27, Murphy and the Warriors reached a buyout agreement. He was

waived A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege. A waiver is often written, such as a disclaimer that has been accepted, but it may also be spoken between two or more parties. When the right to hold a p ...

in time to be playoff-eligible for a new team. Troy Murphy Celtics

On March 2, 2011, Murphy signed with the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

for the remainder of the 2010-11 NBA season. On April 22, 2011, Murphy played in his first career playoff game, a first-round game against the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

Los Angeles Lakers (2011–2012)

On December 17, 2011, Murphy signed with the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

for the 2011-12 NBA season. Over the season, he averaged 3.2 points in 16.2 minutes per game.

Dallas Mavericks (2012)

On November 2, 2012, Murphy signed with the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

for the

2012–13 NBA season The 2012–13 NBA season was the 67th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 30, 2012, when the 2011–12 NBA champions Miami Heat started the season by hosting the Boston Celtics. The 2013 NBA A ...

, replacing Eddy Curry. Murphy's final game in the NBA was played on November 28, 2012, in a 78 - 101 loss to the Chicago Bulls where he recorded 7 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks. He was waived the very next day on November 29 when Dallas signed

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

Derek Fisher.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 82 , , 4 , , 17.7 , , .421 , , .333 , , .776 , , 3.9 , , .9 , , .4 , , .3 , , 5.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 79 , , 79 , , 31.8 , , .451 , , .214 , , .841 , , 10.2 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .4 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 28 , , 0 , , 21.8 , , .440 , , .294 , , .750 , , 6.2 , , .7 , , .4 , , .6 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 70 , , 69 , , 33.9 , , .414 , , .399 , , .730 , , 10.8 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .5 , , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 74 , , 74 , , 34.0 , , .433 , , .320 , , .787 , , 10.0 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .4 , , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 26 , , 17 , , 25.7 , , .450 , , .373 , , .712 , , 6.0 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , .7 , , 8.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, 42 , , 31 , , 28.2 , , .461 , , .409 , , .772 , , 6.1 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .6 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 61 , , 28.1 , , .455 , , .398 , , .797 , , 7.2 , , 2.2 , , .7 , , .4 , , 12.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 73 , , 34.0 , , .475 , , .450 , , .826 , , 11.8 , , 2.4 , , .8 , , .5 , , 14.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 72 , , 69 , , 32.6 , , .472 , , .384 , , .798 , , 10.2 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 14.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, 18 , , 4 , , 16.0 , , .342 , , .174 , , .529 , , 4.2 , , .9 , , .4 , , .1 , , 3.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 17 , , 0 , , 10.5 , , .421 , , .100 , , .846 , , 2.2 , , .4 , , .5 , , .1 , , 2.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 59 , , 0 , , 16.2 , , .450 , , .418 , , .667 , , 3.2 , , .9 , , .3 , , .3 , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, 14 , , 1 , , 18.3 , , .361 , , .314 , , .909 , , 3.5 , , .5 , , .7 , , .4 , , 4.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 729 , , 482 , , 27.3 , , .445 , , .388 , , .785 , , 7.8 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .4 , , 10.8

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 1 , , 0 , , 3.0 , , , , , , , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 4 , , 0 , , 3.8 , , 1.000 , , 1.000 , , , , .8 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 5 , , 0 , , 3.4 , , 1.000 , , 1.000 , , , , .8 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .6

Personal life

Murphy earned $66,000,000 in his NBA career.Profile
businessinsider.com; accessed January 2, 2018. He then attended the

Columbia University School of General Studies The School of General Studies (GS) is a liberal arts college and one of the undergraduate colleges of Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights, Borough (New York City), New York City. GS is known prima ...

, pursuing a degree in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

. Murphy maintained a 3.8 GPA and made the dean's list, according to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

.'' He has since graduated.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Troy 1980 births Living people All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Morris County, New Jersey Boston Celtics players Centers (basketball) Columbia University School of General Studies alumni Dallas Mavericks players Delbarton School alumni Golden State Warriors draft picks Golden State Warriors players Indiana Pacers players Los Angeles Lakers players New Jersey Nets players Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball players Sportspeople from Sparta, New Jersey