Kenyon Lee Martin Sr. (born December 30, 1977) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player who played 15 seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA). As a power forward, he played for the New Jersey Nets,

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

, Los Angeles Clippers,

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

and

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...

of the NBA, and the

Xinjiang Flying Tigers The Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers () is a professional basketball team based in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. The team play its home games at the Hongshan Arena, which has a capacity for 3,800 spectators. The club joined the Chinese Basketb ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Cincinnati Bearcats The Cincinnati Bearcats are the athletic teams that represent the University of Cincinnati. Though they will move to the Big 12 Conference (XII) the teams are currently a part of the American Athletic Conference (The American), which from 1979 ...

and was named the national college player of the year during his senior season. Martin was drafted with the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. He was an NBA All-Star in .

Early years

Martin was born in

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greate ...

on December 30, 1977, to Lydia Moore, a single mother of two. He has a sister, Tamara, who is 3½ years older. Shortly after, the family moved south to the Oak Cliff neighborhood of

Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, where Martin's mother worked two jobs. Later, Martin was often watched by his sister while their mother worked. Martin attended three high schools in four years, but he sought refuge in sports, playing basketball, baseball, and football. In high school, many major universities showed interest in his basketball prowess, but the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,0 ...

and assistant coach John Loyer recruited him hardest after seeing him play AAU ball after his junior year. He graduated from

Bryan Adams High School Bryan Adams High School is a public high school located in the Casa View neighborhood of East Dallas, Texas, United States and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District. The school serves the area of Dallas east of White Rock Lake, sout ...

in 1996 (he was named to the school's hall of fame in 2009).

College career

Martin went to the

and played for the

under the direction of head coach Bob Huggins. He was homesick early in his freshman year and actually took a bus back home to Dallas. His mother and his older sister, who by then were both working two jobs and attending college, steered him to return to finish college. By Martin's junior year, he led Cincinnati to a 27-6 record and was named second-team All-

Conference USA Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are ...

and, in the summer following, he led the U.S. team to the gold medal in the World University Games, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. As a senior in 1999–2000, Martin averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game during a season in which the Bearcats were ranked #1 for 12 weeks. That season, he recorded his second triple double with 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocks vs. Memphis (in 1997, he recorded 24/23/10 vs. DePaul). Martin was the consensus National Player of the Year, earning numerous awards from various organizations, and the team was ranked #1 in the nation at the conclusion of the regular season. However, Martin suffered a broken leg three minutes into the Bearcats' first game of the

Tournament, keeping him out of the NCAA Tournament that year. The team finished with a record of 29-4. Martin remains the Bearcats' all-time leader in career blocked shots (292) and field goal percentage (.586). 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. As of 2019, Martin remains the last American-born college senior to have been the top overall pick. Martin graduated with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

in criminal justice.

Professional career

New Jersey Nets (2000–2004)

As a rookie for the New Jersey Nets, Martin averaged 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He was named to the

NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for player ...

and finished second in voting for

NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gott ...

. 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 Jason Kidd,

Kerry Kittles Kerry Kittles (born June 12, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He was raised in New Orleans and attended St. Augustine High School. He was an assistant coach at Princeton from 2016 to 2018. The , shooting gua ...

, Keith Van Horn and Richard Jefferson, Martin led the Nets to the 2002 NBA Finals, where they were swept by the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

. In his third season Martin again helped his team into the NBA finals, where the Nets lost in six games to the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

. 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. Martin and teammate Alonzo Mourning almost fought when Martin mocked Mourning's life-threatening kidney disease. Martin later admitted that he had made a mistake and apologized to Mourning. On an episode of the Scoop B Radio Podcast, Martin told

Brandon Scoop B Robinson Brandon Robinson, known professionally as Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, is an American television host, sportswriter, podcaster and executive producer who is currently an NBA Insider at Bally Sports Network. He's had prior stops as a radio host and ...

that Mourning thought that Martin should have been working as hard as he was in morning shootarounds, but he was never a shootaround guy. Martin now participates in Mourning's annual charity basketball game (see below "Off the court").

Denver Nuggets (2004–2011)

At the end of the 2003–04 season, Martin was traded to the Denver Nuggets for three future first-round draft picks in a sign-and-trade deal. Martin played in 70 games during the 2004–05 season, averaging 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds; however, a problem with his knee was detected shortly into the off-season, and on May 16, 2005, Kenyon underwent

microfracture surgery Fracture mechanics is the field of mechanics concerned with the study of the propagation of cracks in materials. It uses methods of analytical solid mechanics to calculate the driving force on a crack and those of experimental solid mechanics t ...

on his left knee. During the 2005–06 season, Martin missed 26 games due to knee tendinitis, but was able to return in time for the playoffs. During that playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Martin was suspended from the Denver Nuggets indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team." During halftime of game two of the first round series, Martin got into an argument with head coach George Karl over his playing time, and refused to play for the second half of the game. During the offseason, Karl and Martin apparently "patched things up." Believing injuries were behind him, Martin learned the swelling now occurring in his ''right'' knee would require another microfracture procedure. On November 15, 2006, after playing two regular season games, Martin underwent his second knee operation in less than two years. Martin is believed to be the first NBA player to have, and to return from, microfracture surgery on ''both'' knees. Martin was fined $15,000 by the NBA when, during the third quarter of a 2006 game against the Chicago Bulls, Martin as well as some of his friends got into a verbal altercation with some fans. He was also cautioned to no longer bring his entourage to games. To symbolize a fresh start to his career, Kenyon changed his uniform number from 6 to the number 4, which he wore in college, for the 2007–08 season.

Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2011)

Martin became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2011; however, due to the 2011 NBA lockout, he opted to sign a one-year contract with the

of the Chinese Basketball Association. His contract reportedly would have made him the highest paid player in the Chinese league's history. On December 24, 2011, Martin was released from the club so that he could "take care of family affairs". Martin was initially not allowed to return to the NBA until the Flying Tigers' season ended on February 15, 2012, if not later due to the

2012 CBA Playoffs The 2012 CBA Playoffs is the postseason for the Chinese Basketball Association's 2011–12 season. The playoffs started on February 22, 2012 and ended on March 30, 2012. Beijing Ducks defeated Guangdong Southern Tigers to win their first CBA champ ...

. However, the

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its nam ...

granted him an earlier release on February 2.

Los Angeles Clippers (2012)

On February 3, 2012, Martin signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.CLIPPERS SIGN KENYON MARTIN
/ref> In his first game with the Clippers, Martin scored 6 points and collected four rebounds in a loss to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...

New York Knicks (2013–2014)

On February 21, 2013, Martin agreed to join the

on a 10-day contract, which reunited him with Jason Kidd. He officially joined the team on February 23. He was signed to a second 10-day contract on March 5, and signed for the remainder of the season on March 15. Upon his signing, he provided a large amount of help to a Knicks team that was depleted in the frontcourt, replacing Tyson Chandler, who was out with a neck injury, in the Knicks' starting lineup. On July 25, 2013, Martin re-signed with the Knicks for the 2013–14 season.

Milwaukee Bucks (2015)

On January 9, 2015, Martin signed a 10-day contract with the

. He went on to sign a second 10-day contract on January 19, and a rest-of-season contract on January 29. Martin's final NBA game was on February 2, 2015, in a 82–75 win over the Toronto Raptors where Martin recorded 4 points and 3 rebounds. On February 19, 2015, he was waived by the Bucks. On July 3, 2015, Martin announced his retirement from professional basketball.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

, 68 , , 68 , , 33.4 , , .445 , , .091 , , .630 , , 7.4 , , 1.9 , , 1.1 , , 1.7 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 73 , , 34.3 , , .463 , , .224 , , .678 , , 5.3 , , 2.6 , , 1.2 , , 1.7 , , 14.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 77 , , 77 , , 34.1 , , .470 , , .209 , , .653 , , 8.3 , , 2.4 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , 16.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 65 , , 62 , , 34.6 , , .488 , , .280 , , .684 , , 9.5 , , 2.5 , , 1.5 , , 1.3 , , 16.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 70 , , 67 , , 32.5 , , .490 , , .000 , , .646 , , 7.3 , , 2.4 , , 1.4 , , 1.1 , , 15.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 56 , , 49 , , 27.6 , , .495 , , .227 , , .712 , , 6.3 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .9 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 2 , , 31.5 , , .500 , , .000 , , .250 , , 10.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , .0 , , 9.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 71 , , 71 , , 30.4 , , .538 , , .182 , , .580 , , 6.5 , , 1.3 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , , 12.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 66 , , 66 , , 32.0 , , .491 , , .368 , , .604 , , 6.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 58 , , 58 , , 34.2 , , .456 , , .276 , , .557 , , 9.4 , , 1.9 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 11.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 48 , , 48 , , 25.7 , , .511 , , .222 , , .583 , , 6.2 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , .7 , , 8.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 42 , , 0 , , 22.4 , , .441 , , .231 , , .370 , , 4.3 , , .4 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 18 , , 11 , , 23.9 , , .602 , , , , .425 , , 5.3 , , .4 , , .9 , , .9 , , 7.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 32 , , 15 , , 19.8 , , .512 , , .000 , , .579 , , 4.2 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .8 , , 4.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

, 11 , , 0 , , 9.5 , , .409 , , , , 1.000 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .5 , , .5 , , 1.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 757 , , 667 , , 30.6 , , .483 , , .234 , , .629 , , 6.8 , , 1.9 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 12.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 1 , , 0 , , 23.0 , , .800 , , .000 , , .500 , , 7.0 , , 3.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 17.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 20 , , 20 , , 37.5 , , .424 , , .222 , , .691 , , 5.8 , , 2.9 , , 1.2 , , 1.3 , , 16.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 20 , , 20 , , 38.9 , , .453 , , .091 , , .693 , , 9.4 , , 2.9 , , 1.5 , , 1.6 , , 18.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 11 , , 37.2 , , .533 , , .000 , , .750 , , 11.0 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , 1.3 , , 19.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 32.8 , , .466 , , .000 , , .615 , , 5.6 , , 1.2 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 12.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 0 , , 17.5 , , .308 , , , , .500 , , 4.5 , , .5 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 4.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 29.5 , , .441 , , , , .625 , , 6.3 , , 1.3 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 8.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 16 , , 16 , , 33.6 , , .497 , , .200 , , .657 , , 5.9 , , 2.1 , , 1.1 , , .9 , , 10.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 6 , , 34.2 , , .480 , , .000 , , .632 , , 8.3 , , 1.3 , , 1.5 , , 1.2 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 29.6 , , .480 , , , , .611 , , 7.8 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , .4 , , 11.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2012 , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 11 , , 0 , , 17.5 , , .524 , , , , .625 , , 3.2 , , .3 , , .4 , , 1.7 , , 4.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 12 , , 1 , , 21.1 , , .580 , , , , .550 , , 4.5 , , .9 , , .8 , , 1.4 , , 5.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 112 , , 88 , , 32.0 , , .470 , , .129 , , .679 , , 6.8 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , 12.9

CBA

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 11 , , 29.9 , , .521 , , .000 , , .613 , , 9.7 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .6 , , 13.9

Personal life

Martin is the half-brother of former

Colorado Buffaloes The Colorado Buffaloes are the athletic teams that represent the University of Colorado. The university sponsors 17 varsity sports teams. Both the men's and women's teams are called the Buffaloes (Buffs for short) or, rarely, the Golden Buffaloe ...

shooting guard

Richard Roby Richard Roby (born September 28, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Shinshu Brave Warriors of the Japanese B.League. He attended high school at Lawrence Academy at Groton, Massachusetts. Roby attended th ...

. He is also the cousin of Robert "50" Martin of AND1 Mixtape Tour fame. Martin's son, Kenyon Martin Jr., played his postgraduate year for the IMG Academy after graduating from the Sierra Canyon School. On March 24, 2020, his son declared for the 2020 NBA draft and was selected 52nd overall by the Sacramento Kings. In 2019, Martin requested that his

child support Child support (or child maintenance) is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child (or parent, caregiver, guardian) following the end of a marriage or other similar relationship. Child maintenance is paid d ...

obligations be reduced to reflect his lower income since the end of his NBA career. He stated that his current obligations, which included paying his ex-wife Heather $3,000 per month in child support, plus "additional child support" of $7,000 per month in credit card bills, a new car for Heather every three years and private school fees for the children, were no longer affordable.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Kenyon 1977 births Living people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American men's basketball players Basketball players from Michigan Big3 players Bryan Adams High School alumni Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball players Denver Nuggets players Goodwill Games medalists in basketball Los Angeles Clippers players Milwaukee Bucks players National Basketball Association All-Stars New Jersey Nets draft picks New Jersey Nets players New York Knicks players Power forwards (basketball) Basketball players from Dallas Sportspeople from Saginaw, Michigan United States men's national basketball team players Universiade gold medalists for the United States Universiade medalists in basketball Xinjiang Flying Tigers players Medalists at the 1999 Summer Universiade Competitors at the 2001 Goodwill Games 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople American men's 3x3 basketball players

Early years

College career

Professional career

New Jersey Nets (2000–2004)

Denver Nuggets (2004–2011)

Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2011)

Los Angeles Clippers (2012)

New York Knicks (2013–2014)

Milwaukee Bucks (2015)

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

CBA

Personal life

See also

References

External links