Why Keegan Murray’s Chant Is Quickly Becoming the NBA’s Most Electrifying Sound

There’s something electric that happens at Golden 1 Center whenever Keegan Murray is on the court—a moment that sparks the crowd into a frenzy of shouts and chants that echo like thunder through Sacramento’s beloved arena. The noise starts with the unmistakable call of the Kings’ public address announcer, Scott Moak, whose booming “KEEGAN!” sparks an immediate, unbridled response from fans screaming “MURRAY!” back in perfect harmony. It’s not just a chant; it’s a collective roar that marks every basket, every dazzling play, and every moment Murray touches the ball. And from what I’ve heard on podcasts and from some of the league’s sharpest guards, that chant isn’t just loud—it’s legendary. This unique fan ritual has deep roots and keeps growing, showing the kind of community spirit and player devotion rarely seen in the NBA anymore. If you’ve never experienced it firsthand, trust me—you’re missing something special that goes beyond just basketball. LEARN MORE

SACRAMENTO — Whenever Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray scores a basket at Golden 1 Center, a slogan with his name his echoed.

The chant is led off with Kings public address announcer Scott Moak, who yells into the mic after each Murray basket, whether a free throw, layup, midrange, three-pointer or slam dunk. It’s even shouted after a big play.

“KEEGAN!” Moak roars, igniting the Sacramento faithful to follow suit.

“MURRAY!” the Golden 1 Center attendees respond in unison.

During a podcast episode of “White Noise” hosted by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White and Alex Welsh, White was discussing some of the loudest arenas in the league along with Celtics center Luka Garza and former Celtic, now Chicago Bulls guard, Anfernee Simons.

Amidst the conversation, Garza brings up the Kings and how loud their fans get, especially when the team is winning. Simons was the one who mentioned Murray’s chant.

“Oh my goodness. When he hit a three and it’s packed in there, it’s like,” Simons said with an appalled look on his face.

White jumped in and continued to harp on Murray’s chants in Sacramento.

“His like rookie year, I was like ‘yo, this is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard,'” White said.

Keegan Murray contract and history

Murray was drafted by the Kings with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. As White said, it’s been his chant since day one.

It’s a call that Murray, himself, tends to enjoy throughout the game. He said he builds more appreciation for the chant every year.

“For me, I think every single year I continue to have more appreciation for it,” Murray told USA TODAY Sports. “Because when you go around the league, there’s not many, or if any teams that do that kind of thing for their players.”

Fans and NBA opponents can expect to hear that chant for Murray for at least another five seasons through 2031.

Murray signed a five-year, $140 million rookie scale contract extension with the Kings in Oct. 2025.

“Obviously for me to be here another five years is great,” Murray said. “I think the fans have enjoyed it. I’ve personally enjoyed it a lot. I think it’s just a really special thing that Sacramento has done for me.”

More NBA: Kings light the beam as other NBA teams adopt victory celebrations

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.

Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards’ Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

Oct. 25: The Denver Nuggets’ Christian Braun dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns’ Grayson Allen at Ball Arena.

Oct. 24: The Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. dunks against the Miami Heat at FedExForum.

Oct. 24: The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo dunks over the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. at FedExForum.

Oct. 22: The New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby goes up for a reverse dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.

Oct. 22: The Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen dunks against the Los Angeles Clippers at Delta Center.

Kings history of player chants

Believe it or not, the chant for Murray has been passed down from previous Kings players who grew to be fan favorites.

Before it was Murray’s chant, it was reserved for and belonged to Yogi Ferrell, who played for the Kings from 2018 to 2020.

“I was surprised when I first heard it,” Ferrell told NBA.com in 2019. “When I made the bucket, it felt pretty cool. It feels amazing to have my name chanted out by all the fans – it just shows how special I feel like I am to them. I love this arena.”

Kings PA announcer Moak wasn’t sure if it would initially stick, but he kept roaring Ferrell’s first name and the fans eventually caught on to yell back his last name.

But it even originated before Ferrell. When Italian sniper Marco Belinelli played for the Kings during the 2015-16 season, he’d get remnants of the chant.

After Belinelli scored, Moak called out, “Marco!”

It took fans some time to catch on, but eventually they responded with the only acceptable response if you ever played games in the swimming pool with friends or family growing up.

“Polo,” fans responded.

Thus, the chant in Sacramento was born, and nearly 10 years later, it’d be reserved for Murray.

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Some believe the idea came from Champions League soccer as it was used as an introduction for Argentine soccer player Gonzalo Higuain, when he played for Napoli between 2013 and 2016.

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Kings next game

No matter where it started, it’s now recognized as Murray’s chant.

Murray and the Kings will be back in action following the All-Star break on Thursday, Feb. 19 when they host the Orlando Magic at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

The team announced Wednesday after practice that Murray, who was a full participant, will return from injury to play against the Magic after missing over six weeks with a left ankle sprain sustained in early January.

Tip-off is at 7 p.m. local time.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Keegan Murray just latest Kings player to get epic Sacramento chant