Kenyon Martin

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Kenyon Martin

Position	Power forward
Nickname	K-Mart
Height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Team	Denver Nuggets
Nationality	United States
Born	December 30, 1977 (age 29) Saginaw, Michigan
College	Cincinnati
Draft	1st overall, 2000 New Jersey Nets
Pro career	2000–present
Former teams	New Jersey Nets (2000–2004)
Awards	2000 Oscar Robertson Trophy, 2000 John R. Wooden Award 2000 Naismith College Player of the Year 2000-01 NBA All-Rookie First Team 2003-04 All-Star

Kenyon Lee Martin (born December 30, 1977 in Saginaw, Michigan), is an American professional basketball player. Nicknamed 'K-Mart', he currently plays at power forward for the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets. After participating in two games, Martin will miss the entire 2006-07 NBA season because of a damaged right knee which required microfracture surgery, his second such surgery in 1½ years. [1]

[edit] College

Martin was an outstanding player in college, playing for the Cincinnati Bearcats under the direction of Bob Huggins. As a senior, he averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game and was the consensus National Player of the Year, earning numerous awards from various organizations, but suffered a broken leg in the Conference USA Tournament, keeping him out of the NCAA Tournament that year. Cincinnati retired his #4 jersey on April 25, 2000. Later that year, he was selected first overall in the 2000 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets. Martin is the last American-born college senior to have been the top overall pick; the six top picks since him consist of three high school players (Kwame Brown, LeBron James, Dwight Howard), one international player with two years of U.S. college experience (Andrew Bogut), and two international players with no American college experience (Yao Ming, Andrea Bargnani).

[edit] New Jersey

As a rookie, Martin moved from center to power forward and averaged 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In his second season, Martin averaged 14.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game in helping the Nets rise from last place in the Atlantic Division to an Eastern Conference title and the best season to date in the Nets' NBA history. Along with Nets stars Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, Martin led the Nets to the 2002 NBA Finals, where they were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers. In his third season Martin again helped his team into the NBA Finals, where the Nets lost in six games against the San Antonio Spurs. The next year, Martin averaged 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks en route to his first NBA All-Star selection, as a backup forward for the Eastern Conference All-Stars. In the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, Martin scored 17 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 3 assists.

[edit] Denver Nuggets

At the end of the 2003-04 season, Martin was traded to the Nuggets for three future 1st round draft picks in a sign-and-trade deal. His time in Denver has been disappointing which in large part is due to his offseason microfracture knee surgery on his left knee. Many around the league wonder if he will ever be the same player he used to be and many critics say he is just another product of Jason Kidd. Trade rumors have plagued Martin in his first season as he is rumored to be feuding with his coach George Karl.

As of April 27, 2006, Kenyon Martin was suspended from the Denver Nuggets indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team". During half-time of game two in the Los Angeles Clippers / Denver Nuggets playoff series, Martin got into an argument with coach George Karl over his playing time, and proceeded to refuse to play for the second half of the game. During the offseason Karl and Martin have admitted they have "patched things up".

Currently Martin is recovering from microfracture surgery on his right knee and will miss the entire 2006-2007 season. His future status in the NBA is uncertain, because the only player in NBA history who had returned from reconstructive surgeries in both knees was Danny Manning.

[edit] Family

Martin is married to Heather Martin and has three children, sons Kenyon, Jr. and Kameron, and daughter Cierra Reign. In his free time he enjoys watching movies and playing video games. Martin's half brother, Richard Roby, is a sophomore guard for the University of Colorado. His cousin is Robert Martin aka 50 of And1.

[edit] Trivia

• Tim Thomas, an opposing NBA player then of the New York Knicks, called Martin "fugazi" in 2004 during the first round playoff series between the Knicks and the New Jersey Nets, belittling his reputation as a tough guy. Coincidentally, Thomas did not play in any of the remaining games of the series after these comments were made due to injury.
• His favorite food is biryani chicken.
• Kenyon Martin is the cousin of And 1 Street-ball player Robert "50" Martin.
• Although he was born in Saginaw, Michigan he was raised in Dallas, Texas and attended Bryan Adams High School in Dallas.
• Appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated during the 2002 NBA Playoffs.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Kenyon Martin NBA Profile
• 2000 Oscar Robertson Trophy College Basketball Player of the Year

 succeeded=Shane Battier