Kenyon Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kenyon Martin

Martin playing for the Denver Nuggets in 2011.
Personal information
Born	(1977-12-30) December 30, 1977 (age 47) Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
High school	Bryan Adams (Dallas, Texas)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	234 lb (106 kg)
Career information
College	Cincinnati (1996–2000)
NBA Draft	2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
Pro career	2000–2015
Career history
2000–2004	New Jersey Nets
2004–2011	Denver Nuggets
2011	Xinjiang Flying Tigers
2012	Los Angeles Clippers
2013–2014	New York Knicks
2015	Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (2004) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2001) National college player of the year (2000) Consensus first-team All-American (2000) NABC Defensive Player of the Year (2000) Conference USA Player of the Year (2000) 2× First-team All-Conference USA (1999, 2000) No. 4 retired by Cincinnati Bearcats
Career statistics
Points	9,325 (12.3 ppg)
Rebounds	5,159 (6.8 rpg)
Assists	1,439 (1.9 apg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA Americas Championship Gold 2003 San Juan National team Goodwill Games Gold 2001 Brisbane National team Summer Universiade Gold 1999 Palma National team

Kenyon Lee Martin Sr. (born December 30, 1977) is a retired American professional basketball player. He played for 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a power forward known for his tough and athletic style of play.

Martin played for several NBA teams, including the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets. He also played for a team in China. Before turning pro, he was a star player for the Cincinnati Bearcats in college. In his final college year, he was named the best player in the country.

The New Jersey Nets chose Martin as the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft. He was selected for the NBA All-Star game in 2004.

Early Life and High School

Kenyon Martin was born in Saginaw, Michigan. His mother, Lydia Moore, raised him and his older sister, Tamara, on her own. The family moved to a neighborhood in Dallas, Texas, where his mother worked two jobs to support them.

Martin loved sports and played basketball, baseball, and football. He went to three different high schools in four years. He found a home on the basketball court. College scouts noticed his talent, especially after seeing him play in an AAU game. He graduated from Bryan Adams High School in Dallas in 1996.

College Basketball Career

Martin attended the University of Cincinnati and played for the Cincinnati Bearcats. His coach was Bob Huggins. At first, he was homesick and even went back to Dallas. But his mother and sister encouraged him to return to college and finish his education.

By his third year, Martin was a star player. He helped his team win many games and won several awards. In his final year, he averaged almost 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. His team was ranked number one in the country.

Sadly, Martin broke his leg just before the big NCAA Tournament. Because of the injury, he couldn't play. Even so, he was named the National Player of the Year. The University of Cincinnati later retired his number 4 jersey, a special honor for a great player. Martin graduated with a degree in criminal justice.

Professional Basketball Career

New Jersey Nets (2000–2004)

As a rookie, Martin made an immediate impact with the New Jersey Nets. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In his second season, he teamed up with star point guard Jason Kidd. Together, they led the Nets to the 2002 NBA Finals. It was the best season in the team's history up to that point. They lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, but they returned to the finals the next year.

In the 2003 NBA Finals, the Nets lost to the San Antonio Spurs. The following season, Martin played so well that he was chosen for the NBA All-Star Game. During his time with the Nets, Martin had a serious disagreement with teammate Alonzo Mourning. Martin later apologized, and the two became friends.

Denver Nuggets (2004–2011)

Kenyon Martin shoots over Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.

After the 2004 season, Martin was traded to the Denver Nuggets. His time in Denver was marked by both success and difficult injuries. He had to have a special type of surgery, called microfracture surgery, on his left knee.

The next season, he missed more games due to knee problems. He even had a disagreement with his coach, George Karl, during a playoff game. They later worked out their differences. Martin then had to have the same surgery on his right knee. He is one of the few NBA players to come back from this surgery on both knees. To mark his comeback, he changed his jersey number from 6 to 4, his old college number.

Playing in China and for Other NBA Teams

In 2011, Martin decided to play for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. He was one of the highest-paid players in the league. He returned to the NBA in 2012.

He first signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. The next year, he joined the New York Knicks, where he played with his old teammate, Jason Kidd. He helped the Knicks by filling in for injured players. He finished his career playing a short time with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015.

On July 3, 2015, Kenyon Martin announced his retirement from professional basketball.

Personal Life

Martin's son, Kenyon Martin Jr., is also a professional basketball player. He was drafted into the NBA in 2020. Martin is also the half-brother of former college basketball player Richard Roby.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

CBA

See also

In Spanish: Kenyon Martin para niños