This year’s GS Class Day keynote speaker is Troy Murphy ‘16GS, a former NBA player and entrepreneur.
A native of Morristown, New Jersey, Murphy attended Delbarton School before accepting an athletic scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. He played three seasons at Notre Dame and became just the fifth player in school history to score 2,000 points and the first player to reach the 2,000-point and 900-rebound plateaus. He finished his career as the school's fifth all-time leading scorer (2,011 points) and sixth all-time leading rebounder.
A two-time consensus All-American, he earned first-team Associated Press All-America honors in his sophomore and junior seasons. Murphy also garnered first-team All-America honors from the NABC and Chevrolet, The Sporting News, and USBWA. Murphy finished fifth in the balloting for the Wooden Award in 2001 and was among the three finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year honors. He joined an elite group by winning BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year honors for the second straight year as a junior.
Murphy was selected 14th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. During his second season in 2003, he participated in the NBA All-Star Rising Stars Event in Atlanta, Georgia, and finished third in the voting for Most Improved Player that season. Murphy played for the Warriors until 2007, when he was traded to the Indiana Pacers. In 2008-2009, he finished third in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage (45%) and second in rebounds per game (11.8) while setting a Pacers record for rebounds in a single season (861). Following his time with the Pacers, Murphy played for the Nets, Celtics, Lakers, and Mavericks. He played 12 seasons total in the NBA before retiring in November 2012. Murphy saw action in 729 contests during his career and averaged 10.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
In March 2015, Murphy was part of the Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Legends Class. On January 23, 2016, Murphy became the eighth inductee into the Notre Dame Basketball Ring of Honor. At GS, Murphy was named to the Dean's List and, in 2016, graduated magna cum laude with a degree in sociology. After GS, Murphy spent a year as a Basketball Operations Regional Liaison at the NBA League Office. He then started an RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) firm, Sweven Wealth, which specialized in 'sudden wealth recipients,' becoming the managing member in 2019.
About Columbia University School of General Studies
The Columbia University School of General Studies (GS), founded in 1947, is the premier liberal arts college in the United States for nontraditional students seeking a traditional undergraduate Ivy League education. GS students take the same courses, study with the same faculty, and earn the same degree as all undergraduates at Columbia University.
