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Shawn Marion
Shawn Marion 2013
Marion with the Mavericks in March 2013.
No. 31, 7, 0
Position: Power Forward / Small Forward
League: NBA
Personal information
Full name: Shawn Dwayne Marion
Born: May 7, 1978 (1978-05-07) (age 45)
Waukegan, Illinois
Nationality: Flag of the United States American
Physical stats
Listed height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight: 228 lbs (118 kg)
National Basketball Association career
Debut: 1999 for the Phoenix Suns
Final season: 2015 for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Career information
High school: Clarksville
(Clarksville, Tennessee)
College: Vincennes (19961998)
UNLV (1998–1999)
NBA Draft: 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Playing career: 19992015 (16 years)
Career history
19992008 Phoenix Suns
20082009 Miami Heat
2009 Toronto Raptors
20092014 Dallas Mavericks
2014–2015 Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points: 17,700 (15.2 PPG)
Rebounds: 10,101 (8.7 RPG)
Assists: 2,198 (1.9 APG)
Steals: 1,759 (1.5 SPG)
Blocks: 1,233 (1.1 BPG)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball–Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the Flag of the United States United States
Olympic Games
Olympic Bronze Medal Bronze 2004 Athens
Goodwill Games
Olympic Gold Medal Gold 2001 Brisbane

Shawn Dwayne Marion (born May 7, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and last played with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[1] Marion finished his career as a four–time NBA All–Star, a two–time member of the All–NBA Third Team, and a one–time NBA champion, helping the Dallas Mavericks win their maiden title in 2011. Nicknamed "The Matrix" by former NBA player Kenny Smith during the preseason of his rookie year, he is widely regarded as one of the most versatile players in the league thanks to his athleticism and ability to play and defend many positions.[2]

High school career[]

Marion was born in Waukegan, Illinois and played high school basketball in Clarksville, Tennessee at Clarksville High School, where he was a teammate of future NBA player Trenton Hassell of the New Jersey Nets. Marion lettered three years in basketball, and during his high school career he earned All–Region and District honors and was nominated as a McDonald's All–American. As a senior, he averaged 26.4 points and 13.1 rebounds, led his team to the Final 8 of the Tennessee Class AAA State Tournament, and earned MVP honors and was selected to the First–team Tennessee All–State Team.

College career[]

After high school, he attended Vincennes University, a junior college in Indiana, for two years. He was a First–team All–American selection as a sophomore and a second–team All–American selection as a freshman. As a freshman in 1996–97, he appeared in 36 games and averaged 23.3 points and 12.8 rebounds (462 total). He shot 56 percent from the field (324–for–516) and 69 percent from the free–throw line (124–for–178). His 838 total points as a freshman established him as the second–highest single–season total in school history. As a sophomore in 1997–98, he appeared in 36 games and averaged 23.5 points (847 total points) and 13.1 rebounds (471 total). He shot 60 percent from the field (331–for–549), 38 percent from 3–point range (21–for–56) and 75 percent from the free throw line (122–for–163). He was subsequently named the 1998 NJCAA David Rowlands Male Student Athlete of the Year. He averaged 23.4 points (1,685 total points) in his career and is Vincennes University's second all–time leading scorer.

In May 1998, Marion signed a National Letter of Intent to play for UNLV.[3]

As a junior at UNLV in 1998–99, Marion averaged 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.9 blocks in 29 games. He was named to the Western Athletic Conference Mountain Division First Team, All–Newcomer Team, and All–Defensive Team.

In March 1999, Marion said his intention was to stay for his senior season, graduate and try to win an NCAA championship. But while trying to gauge where he stood with the NBA scouts, he learned that he was highly regarded and that he was looking at going no lower than the middle of the first round. As a result, he declared for the 1999 NBA Draft in April.

NBA career[]

Phoenix Suns (1999–2008)[]

Shawn Marion Suns

Marion with the Suns in January 2007.

Marion was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Due to a left knee injury, Marion missed 31 games between December and February of the 1999–2000 season. He was selected to the NBA All–Rookie Second Team and in 51 games (38 starts), he averaged 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 24.7 minutes. He averaged 17.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.4 blocks, and 36.2 minutes in 78 starts during the 2000–01 season. He played for the Sophomores in the Rookie Challenge during the NBA All-Star Weekend and finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 24 minutes. He increased his averages to 19.1 points and 9.9 rebounds in 2001–02, and again in 2002–03 to 21.2 points with 9.5 rebounds. He was named an NBA All–Star for the first time in 2003.

In 2003–04, Marion averaged 19.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 40.7 minutes in 79 games (79 starts). He led the NBA in total steals (167) and joined 2003–04 MVP Kevin Garnett as the only two players to rank in the top 30 in scoring (19th), rebounds (14th), steals (2nd), blocks (27th), and minutes (2nd). Following the season, he played for the U.S. national team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In 2004–05, Marion started all 81 games for the Suns in which he appeared and averaged 19.4 points (.476 FG%, .833 FT%), 11.3 rebounds, 2.01 steals, 1.9 assists, 1.47 blocks, and 38.8 minutes. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week twice (weeks ending November 28 and December 19), was named a reserve on the Western Conference All–Star Team, and was selected to the All–NBA Third Team. He was the only player in 2004–05 to be ranked in the top 25 in scoring (23rd), rebounding (3rd), steals (4th), blocks (23rd), and minutes (9th). He also became only the second player in NBA history (joining David Robinson, 1991–92) to rank in the top five in rebounding and steals in the same season since the league began tracking steals in 1973–74. During NBA All–Star Weekend, he was a member of the Phoenix team that won the Shooting Stars Competition.

In 2005–06, Marion started each of the 81 games he appeared in for the Suns and averaged 21.8 points (.525 FG%, .809 FT%), 11.8 rebounds, 1.98 steals, 1.8 assists, 1.69 blocks, and 40.3 minutes Marion also ranked 3rd in efficiency.[4] He helped fill in the void left by star Amare Stoudemire, who did not play virtually the entire season due to injury. Marion also earned a spot in the NBA All–Star Game for the third time. He was named Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of February, and was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the week ending January 1. He was once again named a reserve on the Western Conference All–Star Team and was selected to the All–NBA Third Team for the second consecutive year. He became the first player in NBA history to finish in the top five in both rebounding and steals in consecutive years since the 1973–74 season. He was joined by Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand, and Yao Ming as the only players in the NBA to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in the 2005–06 season. On February 22, 2006, he scored a career–high 44 points against the Boston Celtics. He became only the second Suns player in franchise history (after Charles Barkley) to record three consecutive 30–point/15–rebound games (February 22–27). He also became the first Sun since Barkley to record a 30–point/20–rebound game with 31 points and an NBA season–high (and personal career–high) 24 rebounds against the Charlotte Bobcats on February 25.

On March 5, 2006, Marion was one of 23 players named to the USA men's senior national team that finished third in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, but he was forced to withdraw from the team before the tournament began due to a knee injury. Marion played for the senior United States National Basketball Team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship and the 2004 Athens Olympics. He has earned 22 total international caps for the USA.

During the 2006–07 season, Marion was one of two players (the other Garnett) to rank in the top 40 in points per game, rebounds per game, field goal percentage, blocks per game, steals per game, and minutes per game.[5] He finished fourth in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. He scored his 10,000th career point in the season–opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 31, 2006. He was once again named a reserve on the Western Conference All–Star Team. He was named to his fourth NBA All–Star Team as a reserve (2003, '05, '06, '07) and collected 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 22 minutes in his hometown of Las Vegas at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.

On September 26, 2007, following a summer filled with rumors and trade speculation involving possible deals with the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Utah Jazz, Marion requested to be traded. He said that he would welcome a trade to the Lakers to play with his good friend Kobe Bryant. Citing the rumors and a refusal on the part of Phoenix Suns management to negotiate for a contract extension, Marion called his relationship with the Suns a "bad marriage", and stated that it was time for him to leave Phoenix.[6] By the start of the season, though, Marion continued to play well for the Suns. On November 9, 2007, Marion tied his career–high with 24 rebounds in the Suns' 106–101 win over the Miami Heat.

Miami Heat (2008–2009)[]

Shawn Marion Miami

Marion playing for the Heat.

On February 6, 2008, the Phoenix Suns traded Shawn Marion and teammate, Marcus Banks, to the Miami Heat for Center Shaquille O'Neal which ended the 9–year run with the Phoenix Suns.[7] On March 8, 2008, he participated in the first replayed NBA game since 1982, as the Heat played the Atlanta Hawks to settle a disputed last 51.9 seconds from their encounter on December 19, 2007. Marion, who had played for the Suns on December 19 and participated in the replayed 51.9 seconds, officially went down as having played for two different teams on the same day.

Toronto Raptors (2009)[]

Shawn Marion Toronto

Marion of the Raptors posting up Quentin Richardson of the Knicks.

On February 13, 2009, Marion was traded to the Toronto Raptors along with Marcus Banks and cash considerations for Jermaine O'Neal, Jamario Moon, and a future conditional draft pick.[8] On April 16, Marion scored a season–high 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds during a 109–98 win over the Bulls, during the last game of the season.

Dallas Mavericks (2009–2014)[]

Shawn Marion (Mavs)

Marion with the Mavericks in February 2011.

On July 9, 2009, Marion reportedly signed a five–year $39 million contract and immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks, as part of a four–team trade among Raptors, Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Orlando Magic.[9] Marion was a steady performer for the Mavericks during the 2009–10 season, but he was not a primary option. He was not set up for a lot of opportunities offensively and his average of 12 points per game was the lowest since his rookie season. He also averaged a career–low 6.4 rebounds per game.

Having been a starter his whole career, Marion was relegated to a bench role for the 2010–11 season, with Caron Butler taking over the starting Small Forward position. However, Butler sustained a season–ending injury on January 1, 2011, and by the end of the season, Marion was starting again. Marion was the Mavericks' starting Small Forward throughout their playoff run, a run that resulted in a trip to the NBA Finals. In Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Marion scored 26 points. In the Finals, Marion helped the Mavericks defeat the Miami Heat in six games to win their first NBA championship. Marion averaged 13.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists during the six games, with his best effort coming in Game 2 when he had 20 points. During the season, Marion joined Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, and Julius Erving as the only players with 1,500 steals and 1,000 blocks.

In the lockout–shortened 2011–12 season, Marion was the only player 6 ft 7 (2.01 m) or shorter to lead his team in rebounding (7.4 rpg, 465 total rebounds). He became the first Maverick 6 ft 7 (2.01 m) or shorter to lead Dallas in rebounding since 6 ft 7 (2.01 m) Jay Vincent did so in 1984–85 (8.9 rpg). On March 13, 2012 against the Washington Wizards, Marion moved into 100th place on the NBA's all–time scoring list.

On December 18, 2012 against the Phoenix Suns, Marion eclipsed the 16,000–point plateau, becoming the 95th player in league history with at least 16,000 career points. He joined Olajuwon, Malone, and Garnett as the only players in NBA history with at least 16,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, and 1,000 blocks. On January 27, 2013 against Phoenix, Marion played in his 1,000th NBA game, becoming the 107th player in NBA history to reach the milestone. On March 6, 2013 against the Houston Rockets, Marion passed Rod Strickland for 25th place on the NBA's all–time steals list.

Shawn Marion Mavericks 2013

Marion with the Mavericks in March 2013.

On January 3, 2014 against the Los Angeles Clippers, Marion passed the 17,000–point mark and joined Olajuwon, Malone, and Garnett as the only players with at least 17,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, and 1,000 blocks. For the 2013–14 season, Marion posted a career–low 13.4 PER, struggled with consistency on offense, and struggled defensively at times.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2014–2015)[]

Shawn Marion Cleveland

Marion with the Cavaliers.

On September 9, 2014, Marion signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers reuniting with former Dallas champion teammate Brendan Haywood. In December 2014, he became the first player in NBA history with 15,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 1,000 blocks, and 500 3–pointers. On January 21, 2015, Marion announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2014–15 season. Marion missed time in February and March with a strained left hip. Marion returned to the NBA Finals in 2015; however, he did not appear in any of the Cavaliers' six games, a series that Cleveland lost 4–2 to the Golden State Warriors.

On June 18, 2015, Marion announced his retirement from the NBA after 16 seasons.

National team career[]

Marion played for the United States national team at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, and 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, winning gold in Brisbane and bronze in Athens.

NBA career statistics[]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

Regular season[]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1999–00 Phoenix 51 38 24.7 .471 .182 .847 6.5 1.4 .7 1.0 10.2
2000–01 Phoenix 79 79 36.2 .480 .256 .810 10.7 2.0 1.7 1.4 17.3
2001–02 Phoenix 81 81 38.4 .469 .393 .845 9.9 2.0 1.8 1.1 19.1
2002–03 Phoenix 81 81 41.6 .452 .387 .851 9.5 2.4 2.3 1.2 21.2
2003–04 Phoenix 79 79 40.7 .440 .340 .851 9.3 2.7 2.1 1.3 19.0
2004–05 Phoenix 81 81 38.8 .476 .334 .833 11.3 1.9 2.0 1.5 19.4
2005–06 Phoenix 81 81 40.3 .525 .331 .809 11.8 1.8 2.0 1.7 21.8
2006–07 Phoenix 80 80 37.6 .524 .317 .810 9.8 1.7 2.0 1.5 17.5
2007–08 Phoenix 47 47 36.4 .526 .347 .713 9.9 2.1 2.0 1.5 15.8
2007–08 Miami 16 15 37.6 .459 .258 .690 11.2 2.5 1.9 .9 14.3
2008–09 Miami 42 41 36.1 .482 .200 .788 8.7 1.8 1.4 1.1 12.0
2008–09 Toronto 27 27 35.3 .488 .154 .806 8.3 2.3 1.1 .8 14.3
2009–10 Dallas 75 75 31.8 .508 .158 .755 6.4 1.4 .9 .8 12.0
2010–11 Dallas 80 27 28.2 .520 .152 .768 6.9 1.4 .9 .6 12.5
2011–12 Dallas 63 63 30.5 .446 .294 .796 7.4 2.1 1.1 .6 10.6
2012–13 Dallas 67 67 30.0 .514 .315 .782 7.8 2.4 1.1 .7 12.0
2013–14 Dallas 76 76 31.7 .482 .358 .785 6.5 1.6 1.2 .5 10.4
2014–15 Cleveland 57 24 19.3 .446 .261 .765 3.5 .9 .5 .5 4.8
Career 1,163 1,062 34.5 .484 .331 .810 8.7 1.9 1.5 1.1 15.2
All–Star 4 0 19.5 .575 .000 .500 6.5 3.0 1.5 .5 12.5

Playoffs[]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2000 Phoenix 9 9 31.2 .419 .167 .818 8.8 .8 .7 1.6 9.1
2001 Phoenix 4 4 34.8 .371 1.000 .857 8.3 .8 1.5 1.5 14.8
2003 Phoenix 6 6 47.0 .374 .321 .846 11.7 2.0 1.8 1.8 18.5
2005 Phoenix 15 15 42.3 .484 .419 .769 11.8 1.5 1.4 1.7 17.6
2006 Phoenix 20 20 42.5 .489 .314 .881 11.7 1.6 1.9 1.2 20.4
2007 Phoenix 11 11 41.4 .500 .353 .667 10.4 1.2 1.5 1.7 16.9
2010 Dallas 6 6 24.7 .407 .000 .800 4.2 1.0 .2 .5 8.7
2011 Dallas 21 21 32.9 .467 .000 .851 6.3 2.1 1.0 .9 11.9
2012 Dallas 4 4 35.0 .425 .286 .900 8.0 1.0 .3 1.3 11.8
2014 Dallas 7 7 27.6 .407 .222 .636 5.3 1.9 .9 .1 8.4
2015 Cleveland 6 0 4.2 .167 .000 .000 1.0 .2 .3 .0 .3
Career 109 103 35.2 .456 .318 .814 8.6 1.4 1.2 1.2 13.9

Personal life[]

Marion and his ex–partner have a son. In 2017, Marion teamed up with fellow retired NBA player Cedric Ceballos to compete in Season 30 of The Amazing Race.

In February 2018, Marion and fellow former NBA player Matt Walsh became majority shareholders of the New Zealand Breakers via a newly–formed company called Breakers Basketball Ltd.

References[]

External links[]

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