Trey Murphy III has become one of the NBA's rising stars, but the oft-overlooked New Orleans Pelicans forward knows his latest career milestone would not have happened without a little help from a teammate. Murphy's new endorsement deal with New Balance represents another significant step in his growing profile, both on and off the court.
However, when asked about joining the footwear company's basketball roster, Murphy was quick to redirect some of the credit toward Dejounte Murray for making the initial introductions.
“Shout out to New Balance and honestly, shout out to Dejounte,” Murphy III told ClutchPoints after a recent practice. “(Murray) introduced me to Chris Davis, the president of New Balance, when we were in Boston. We talked and that led me to New Balance. So, thanks to Dejounte. Make sure he gets his flowers. And New Balance, thanks for believing in me.”
The Pelicans understand that unwavering belief. It's why EVP Joe Dumars and new head coach Jamahl Mosley stuck with a ‘ridiculous' asking price for Murphy III this summer.
As for what needs to happen to get that signature, namesake shoe? The endorsement is worth celebrating, but winning something meaningful in a Pelicans uniform would be even sweeter.
Article Continues Below“Win. That’s it. You get your personal goals when you win,” Murphy III told ClutchPoints at Media Day. “It doesn’t really matter what you do on the court personally if your team isn’t winning. We’ve seen that many times before; guys have averaged 25, 26, 27 and didn’t get any personal goals because your team isn’t winning. That’s what is important in this league is winning games, and that’s what I’m focused on is winning games. After that that’s when the personal things will come into effect.”
Last season, the 26-year-old averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists across 66 starts, shooting 47% from the field and 37.9% from three-point range. New Balance can market an NBA All-Star campaign around that this season, especially if the production sees a slick uptick under Mosley. The Pelicans are betting in leads to an NBA Playoffs appearance as well.