Denver Nuggets player Jamal Murray. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Nuggets star Jamal Murray promises help for Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa

By Kevin Henry | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 9:09 PM ET

After Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, one NBA star is pledging to help the country with its recovery.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who has a deep family connection to Jamaica through his father, pledged on social media on Tuesday afternoon to be a part of the massive effort it will take to help Jamaica recover from a storm that was among the most powerful to come into existence in the last century.

Hurricane Melissa's 185 mph winds and 892 millibars of central pressure on landfall tied two different records for the strongest Atlantic storm upon hitting Jamaica.

That prompted Murray to take to X and post, "Praying for Jamaica! I will help with the recovery" followed by a praying hands emoji.

Praying for Jamaica! I will help with the recovery
— Jamal Murray (@BeMore27) October 28, 2025

Jamal Murray has deep ties to Jamaica

Murray was born and raised in Canada and has played for Canada in international competitions, including the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. However, his father was born in Jamaica. That connection has not only prompted Murray to pledge help with recovery efforts, but also conduct basketball camps in Jamaica in previous years to help young people there gain a love and understanding of basketball.

Among the worries in Jamaica right now along with rising floodwaters and devastation of infrastructure and housing is a warning to residents to beware of "displaced crocodiles" that could show up in areas where they are not normally seen, according to the Associated Press.

After hitting Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa had weakened some, with sustained winds of 125 mph on Tuesday night as it took aim on Cuba where it was expected to make landfall late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, Murray is off to a hot start in the 2025 NBA season. Through Denver's first three games (where the Nuggets went 2-1), the 28-year-old Murray is averaging 30.3 points per game while hitting on 53.0% of his field goals. Murray is also connecting from three-point range, shooting 9-for-21 (42.9%) so far.

Kevin Henry

A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), Kevin Henry has been covering MLB and MiLB for nearly two decades. Those assignments have included All-Star Games and the MLB postseason, including the World Series. Based in the Denver area, Kevin calls Coors Field his home base, but travels throughout North America during the season to discover the best stories possible

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