The 2022 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors today announced that Senior Vice President of Franchise Development and President of the Santa Cruz Warriors, Chris Murphy, has been named 2022 Person of the Year by the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce. The award is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the Santa Cruz community, and displays three common characteristics: humility, innovation and remarkable adaptability to the challenges the community has endured.
Murphy’s leadership includes a dedicated emphasis on community service. In the last year alone, the team’s front office staff combined to participate in over 210 community events and raised over $95,000 for local non-profits. Murphy spent over 100 hours volunteering in the community, and serves as a Board Member of various organizations, including the Downtown Management Corporation, and is the board secretary for the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County.
Since being named President of the Santa Cruz Warriors in the fall of 2015, Murphy has elevated the franchise to new heights. In 2017, he was named NBA G League Team Executive of the Year, and under his leadership the Santa Cruz Warriors have been named NBA G League Franchise of the Year three times (2018, 2021, 2022), an award that honors the organization that best exemplifies the league’s core pillars: Compete with Intensity, Lead with Integrity, and Inspire Play. In total, the Santa Cruz Warriors have won 34 NBA G League Business Awards with Murphy at the helm.
In addition to his leadership in Santa Cruz, Murphy oversees the Warriors’ esports vertical, based in Los Angeles. In late 2022, the Golden Guardians held a grand opening of a 10,742 square-foot facility in Playa Vista to house the organization’s esports teams, including the Golden Guardians (League of Legends, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and World of Warcraft) and Warriors Gaming Squad (NBA 2K). The state-of-the-art facility features the esports business offices, a training facility for players and coaches, a full creative studio buildout, and more.
Murphy will be honored during the Chamber’s Annual Gala Recognition Dinner, held April 6, 2023 in Santa Cruz.