Shawn Marion

At 45 years old, Shawn Marion has this physical status:

Shawn Dwayne Marion (born May 7, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Marion finished his career as a four-time NBA All-Star 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 was widely regarded as one of the most versatile players in the league because of his athleticism and ability to play and defend many positions.

He was also known for his unorthodox shooting form.

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.

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High school career

Marion was born in Waukegan, Illinois, and played high school basketball in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he was a teammate of fellow NBA player Trenton Hassell at Clarksville High School. Marion spent three years in basketball, gained All-Region and District awards throughout his high school career and was selected as a McDonald's All-American. He averaged 26.4 points and 13.1 rebounds, led his team to the Final 8 of the Tennessee Class AAA State Tournament, earning MVP honors and being named to the first-team Tennessee All-State Team as a senior.

College career

Marion attended Vincennes University, a junior college in Indiana, for two years after high school. As a freshman, he was a first-team All-American pick and a second-team All-American pick. He appeared in 36 games and averaged 23.3 points and 12.8 rebounds (462 total), and was a freshman in 1996-97. He shot 56% from the field (324-for-516) and 69 percent from the free throw line (124-for-178). His 838 total points as a freshman ranked him as the second-highest single-season total in school history. He appeared in 36 games and averaged 23.5 points (847 total points) and 13.1 rebounds (471 total). He shot 60% from the field (331-for-549), 38 percent from 3-point range (21-for-56) and 75% from the free throw line (122-for-163). He was later 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.

Marion signed a National Letter of Intent to play for UNLV in May 1998.

Marion was a junior at UNLV in 1998-99 and had 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.9 blocks in 29 games. He was chosen to the Western Athletic Conference First Team, All-Newcomer Team, and All-Defensive Team.

Marion said he wanted to stay for his senior season, graduate, and try to win an NCAA championship in March 1999. However, when attempting to determine where he stood with the NBA scouts, he discovered that he was highly respected and that he was not likely to finish in the first round or even at all levels. As a result, he signed for the 1999 NBA draft in April.

Professional career

Marion was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft. Marion skipped 31 games between December and February of the 1999–2000 season due to a left knee injury. He was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 51 games (38 starts), and he scored 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 24.7 minutes in 48 games. During the 2000-2001 season, he averaged 17.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 36.2 minutes. During the NBA All-Star Weekend, he was with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 24 minutes for the Sophomores. In 2001–02, he boosted his averages to 19.1 points and 9.9 rebounds, then exploded to 21.2 points with 9.5 rebounds. For the first time in 2003, he was named an NBA All-Star for the first time.

Marion's averaged 19.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 40.7 minutes in 79 games (79 games). He led the NBA in total steals (167) and played for 2003-04 MVP Kevin Garnett as the only two players to reach the top 30 in scoring (19th), rebounds (14th), blocks (27th), and minutes (2nd). He appeared on the national team of the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympics following the season.

Marion played in all 81 games for the Suns, including 19.4 points, 2.01 steals, 1.47 blocks, and 38.8 minutes. He was named Western Conference Player of the Week twice (weeks ending November 28 and December 19,) and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team, and was selected to the Western Conference All-Star Team. He was the only player in 2004-05 to be ranked in the top 25 scoring (23rd), rebounding (3rd), blocks (23rd) and minutes (9th). He was also the second player in NBA history (joining David Robinson, 1991–92) to rank in the top five in rebounding and thefts in the same season since the league began tracking steals in 1973–74. He was a member of the Phoenix team that defeated the Shooting Stars Competition during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Marion played in all of the Suns' 81 games, scoring 28.98 percent, 1.69 blocks, and 40.3 minutes, averaging of 21.8 points (.525 FG%,.809 FT%), 11.8 steals, 1.98 assists, 1.69 blocks, and 40.3 minutes in 2005-06. For the week ending January 1, he was named Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of February and was named Western Conference Player of the Week. He was selected to the All-NBA Third Team for the second year in a row. In both rebounding and steals, he was the first NBA player to finish in the top five in consecutive years since the 1973–74 season. Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand, and Yao Ming were among the NBA's few players to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in the 2005-06 season. He scored a career-high 44 points against the Boston Celtics on February 22, 2006. He became only the second Suns player to play in franchise history (after Charles Barkley) to win three straight 30-point/15-rebound games (February 22-27). On February 25, he became the first Sun since Barkley to record a 30-point/20-rebound game with 31 points and a personal record-high 24 rebounds against the Charlotte Bobcats, the first Sun since Barkley to play in a 30-point/20-rebound game.

Marion led the NBA in total steals (156) in 2006-07 and finished fourth in the Defensive Player of the Year poll. In the season's opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 31, 2006, he scored his 10,000th career goal. He was also named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star Team for the second time.

Marion, who was surrounded by trade rumors, declared that he wanted out of Phoenix in September 2007. Marion had been referred to in trade scenarios involving the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. He said he would love to play with his good friend Kobe Bryant in the Lakers. Marion had allegedly prevented a three-team contract that would have brought him to Boston with a new contract extension, Garnett to Phoenix, and draft picks to Minnesota during the summer.

Marion was on her career high with 24 rebounds in the Suns' 106-101 victory over the Miami Heat on November 9, 2007.

Marion was bought by the Miami Heat along with Marcus Banks of the Suns in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal on February 6, 2008.

Marion and Banks were traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal and Jamario Moon on February 13, 2009. Marion won by 109-98 over the Bulls on April 16, scoring a season-high 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Marion was acquired by the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade agreement with the Raptors on July 9, 2009, with Marion receiving a five-year contract worth more than $39 million. Marion was a solid performer for the Mavericks during the 2009–10 season, but not as a primary option. He was not set up for a lot of offensive opportunities, and his average of 12 points per game was his lowest level since his rookie season. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds per game, a career-low 3.

Marion was relegated to a bench position in the 2010–11 season, with Caron Butler taking over the starting small forward role. Butler sustained a season-ending injury on January 1, 2011, and Marion was back in action by the end of the season. Marion was the Mavericks' starting small forward during their playoff campaign, which culminated in a trip to the NBA Finals. Marion scored 26 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Marion was assisting the Mavericks in winning their first NBA championship in six games over the Miami Heat. During the six games, Marion averaged 13.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, with his best effort coming in Game 2 when he had 20 points. Marion joined Hakeel, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, and Julius Erving as the only players with 1,500 steals and 1,000 blocks during the season.

Marion was the only player 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) or shorter to lead his team in rebounding (6.6 rpg, 465 total rebounds) in the lockout-shortened 2011-2012 season. In 1984–85 (8.9 rpg), he was the first Maverick 6 ft 7" or shorter to lead Dallas in recovery since 6 ft 7 m (2.2 m) or less. Marion moved to 100th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list on March 13, 2012.

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

Marion passed the 17,000-point mark and joined Olajuwon, Malone, and Garnett as the only players with at least 17,000 points, 1,500 steals, and 1,000 blocks against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 3, 2014. Marion had a career-low 13.4 PER cent, struggled with focus on offense, and even stalled defensively at times.

Marion signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on September 9, 2014. He made history by winning 15,000 points, 10,000 blocks, and 500 3-pointers in December 2014. Marion announced on January 21, 2015, that he expects to retire at the end of the 2014–15 season. Marion had a strained left hip during February and March. Marion returned to the NBA Finals in June 2015, but he did not appear in any of the Cavaliers' six games, a series in which Cleveland defeated the Golden State Warriors 4–2.

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

National team career

Marion competed for the national team of the United States at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, 2002, and the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, winning gold in Brisbane and bronze in Athens.

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