When Trey Murphy III, ’18, returns to Cary Academy as this year’s Commencement speaker, he comes not just as an NBA standout, but as someone profoundly shaped by a community that nurtured his drive, steadiness, and sense of purpose long before he took the national stage.
Ask him what he remembers most from his time at CA, and he doesn’t mention trophies. He talks about people. About a school that “felt like one big family,” where friendships crossed grade levels as naturally as students crossed the Quad.
“My freshman year, I was really cool with a bunch of seniors,” he recalls. “Then, in my sophomore year, I got close with the freshmen and other seniors. It wasn’t like each grade was isolated.”
Being surrounded by “so many amazing, brilliant people,” he says, raised the bar. It shaped how he wanted to show up, not only in the classroom, but on the court, and in the world. The version of Trey Murphy the world sees now began here: grounded, humble, relentlessly hardworking, and deeply connected to those around him.
The Slow Build
Murphy wasn’t a prodigy crowned early. His ascent was steady, the product of daily discipline more than hype. Basketball had always been the dream, but it wasn’t until the summer before his junior year, spent training in the CA gym, that it became a genuine possibility.
“That’s when I really shaped my work ethic,” he says. Under the demanding eye of Coach Eric Moore, he learned the difference between working hard and working with purpose.
“Coach Moore demanded a lot from me and wanted the best for me,” Murphy says. “I always loved that about him. It was with him that I saw a path to playing professionally.”
By the time he graduated, he left as one of the most impactful players in the program’s history, not only because of his many records (many of which still stand today), but because of how he transformed himself through commitment, humility, and a willingness to outwork everyone in the room.
College had to check two boxes: serious academics and serious Division I basketball. Rice University offered both. His parents “didn’t play around about academics,” he jokes, and psychology quickly pulled him in. He loved thinking about how people think, how they relate to each other, and how they change. For a while, he imagined a future in sports psychology if basketball didn’t pan out.
Plan A, as it happens, worked out just fine.
A Season That Changed Everything
On the court, he grew quickly. After two strong years at Rice, he felt something shifting—an internal pull toward new challenges and a higher level of competition.
“I felt like I needed a change,” he says. “People are often afraid to face that, but sometimes you have to take that leap of faith.
Transferring meant walking away from relationships and a program he cared about. But it also became one of the first major decisions he made entirely on his own. “Trusting my instincts. That was big,” he says. “It helped me grow as a person, as a man.”
His first year at the University of Virginia validated his instincts immediately. UVA’s system sharpened his shooting, broadened his defensive versatility, and pushed him into national visibility. His debut, a 21-point performance powered by a barrage of threes, signaled that something big had shifted.
Over the season, he emerged as one of the ACC’s most efficient offensive threats and earned a place on the All-ACC Academic Team, reinforcing the disciplined, whole-student approach he’d carried from CA.
That year didn’t just raise his draft stock. It clarified his identity as a two-way player built for the modern game and secured his place as a first-
round prospect.
Betting on Himself
In 2021, Murphy declared for the NBA Draft and was selected 17th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans. From the start, he stood out: size, shooting, versatility, and an unshakeable professionalism.
He carved out his role quickly as an elite floor-spacer who can guard multiple positions and attack the rim with authority. Coaches praise his reliability. Teammates praise his character. Analysts praise his trajectory: upward, steady, undeniable.
Murphy’s career hasn’t been without adversity. Injuries, including his most recent season-ending shoulder injury, have forced him to pause, reevaluate, and rebuild. In those moments, CA echoed loudly. He remembered lessons from a former teacher who taught him the practice of a growth mindset.
“When I got hurt, I’d tell myself, ‘Okay, it already happened. The only thing I can do now is get better each day.’” That mindset turned setbacks into step-ups.
“With every injury, I’ve attacked rehab diligently and meticulously,” he says. “I’ve been able to come back better than I was before.”
His advice to younger athletes mirrors the same clarity: “Control what you can control. There are so many things out of your control—you can’t put your energy there. Just keep putting steps forward.”
The Center of Gravity
Ask Murphy how he defines himself now, and he doesn’t list stats. He says: calm, levelheaded, understanding, loyal. He laughs when he calls himself the “therapist friend,” the one people seek out when they need someone grounded and present. He takes that role seriously.
That steadiness comes from home. “My parents are my foundation,” he says. “They’re my best friends. They raised me to be the man I am today.”
CA reinforced those values. Being surrounded by peers and adults who were serious about their work, their integrity, and their impact left a mark he still carries. When he entered the NBA, he felt like he was walking a “tightrope” as he found his footing. Eventually, he found his balance through authenticity.
“I’m not trying to be like anybody else, and I feel like myself is pretty cool.”
Giving Back
Murphy’s commitment to young people, particularly in his hometown of Durham, runs deeper than occasional appearances or photo ops. Each summer, he hosts a back-to-school event that has grown into a community tradition. Now several years running, it brings families together for a full day of support: fresh haircuts, new backpacks, school supplies, meals, activities, and partnerships with local organizations that know the community well.
It’s an approach that stems from empathy as much as generosity. He remembers being seven years old, meeting a favorite rapper, and being denied an autograph. “It stuck with me forever,” he says. “I told myself I’d never do that to a kid.”
That small moment became a guiding principle: make others feel seen, valued, respected.
Even at large community events, Murphy tries to create moments that feel personal, pausing for photos, offering encouragement, or giving a bit of extra time to a child who needs it. He’s mindful of how powerful even a brief interaction can be.
Through camps, clinics, and direct mentorship, he focuses on three core values for young people: kindness, empathy, and respect. “If you lead with those qualities,” he says, “you’ll be surprised how often things fall into place. When you’re doing good, good tends to come back to you.”
What Lasts
On the court, Murphy hopes to be remembered by his peers as a truly great basketball player. Off the court, his hopes are simpler but just as resonant.
“I want people to feel like I made their lives better in some capacity. Even something small, like a compliment or holding a door. I want to make people feel cared for.”
As he returns to CA for Commencement, he doesn’t return as a distant star. He arrives as someone whose core was formed here, in classrooms and hallways, on courts and in friendships, in moments of quiet encouragement and honest challenge.
If there’s one message he hopes students take with them, it’s the one guiding him now: “Be where your feet are. Make the most of the moment you are in.”
Because presence, he knows, is where connection—and possibility— begins.
