Kenyon Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kenyon Martin

Martin with the 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 an American former professional basketball player. He played for 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a power forward, he played for several teams. These included the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, and Milwaukee Bucks. He also played for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China.

Martin played college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He was named the best college player in the country during his final year. The New Jersey Nets chose him as the very first pick in the 2000 NBA draft. He was also chosen as an NBA All-Star in 2004.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

Kenyon Martin was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on December 30, 1977. He grew up with his mother, Lydia Moore, and older sister, Tamara. His family later moved to Dallas, Texas. His mother worked two jobs to support the family.

Kenyon found comfort and fun in sports. He played basketball, baseball, and football in high school. Many big universities were interested in his basketball skills. The University of Cincinnati and coach John Loyer were especially keen. They saw him play in an AAU tournament. Kenyon graduated from Bryan Adams High School in Dallas in 1996. He was later honored in the school's hall of fame.

College Career at Cincinnati

Martin attended the University of Cincinnati. He played for the Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team. Their coach was Bob Huggins. Early in his first year, Kenyon felt homesick. He even took a bus back to Dallas. But his mother and sister encouraged him to return to college.

By his third year, Kenyon led Cincinnati to a great record of 27 wins and 6 losses. He was named second-team All-Conference USA. That summer, he helped the U.S. team win a gold medal. This was at the World University Games. He was the top scorer and rebounder for the team.

In his final year (1999–2000), Martin was amazing. He averaged almost 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game. The Bearcats were ranked #1 in the country for 12 weeks. He even had two "triple-doubles" in his college career. A triple-double means getting double-digit numbers in three stats. For example, 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocks in one game!

Kenyon won many awards as the National Player of the Year. Sadly, he broke his leg during a tournament game. This injury kept him out of the NCAA Tournament. The team finished with a strong record of 29 wins and 4 losses.

Martin still holds records for the Bearcats. He has the most career blocked shots (292). He also has the best field goal percentage (.586). Cincinnati honored him by retiring his #4 jersey. This means no other player can wear that number. Later that year, he was the first pick in the 2000 NBA draft. He was chosen by the New Jersey Nets. Kenyon Martin is the last American college senior to be the top NBA draft pick.

He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.

Professional Basketball Journey

New Jersey Nets (2000–2004)

Kenyon Martin's first NBA game was on October 31, 2000. He scored 10 points and had 7 rebounds. As a rookie, he averaged 12 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. This means he was one of the best first-year players.

In his second season, Martin helped the Nets improve a lot. They went from last place to winning the Eastern Conference title. With teammates like Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, he led the Nets to the 2002 NBA Finals. They played against the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his third season, Martin helped the Nets reach the finals again. They lost to the San Antonio Spurs. The next year, he became an NBA All-Star. He scored 17 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the All-Star Game.

Denver Nuggets (2004–2011)

Kenyon Martin shooting over Dirk Nowitzki

After the 2003–04 season, Martin was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He played well, averaging 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds. However, he started having knee problems. In 2005, he had surgery on his left knee.

During the 2005–06 season, he missed many games due to knee pain. He returned for the playoffs. But he was suspended for arguing with his coach, George Karl. They later worked things out.

In 2006, Martin had another knee surgery. This time it was on his right knee. He is believed to be the first NBA player to have this type of surgery on both knees and return to play. To mark a fresh start, he changed his jersey number. He went from number 6 to number 4, which he wore in college.

Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2011)

In 2011, there was a lockout in the NBA. This meant players couldn't play. So, Martin signed a one-year contract with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. This team is in the Chinese Basketball Association. He was released from the team in December 2011. This allowed him to return to the NBA.

Los Angeles Clippers (2012)

On February 3, 2012, Martin signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. In his first game, he scored 6 points and had 4 rebounds.

New York Knicks (2013–2014)

In 2013, Martin joined the New York Knicks. This reunited him with his former Nets teammate, Jason Kidd. He helped the Knicks a lot. He filled in for injured players and even started some games. He re-signed with the Knicks for the next season.

Milwaukee Bucks (2015)

On January 9, 2015, Martin signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. He played his final NBA game on February 2, 2015. He scored 4 points and had 3 rebounds in a win. He was later released by the Bucks.

On July 3, 2015, Kenyon Martin announced he was retiring from professional basketball.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

CBA

Family Life

Kenyon Martin has family connections in sports. His half-brother, Richard Roby, also played basketball. He was a shooting guard for the Colorado Buffaloes. Kenyon is also the cousin of Robert "50" Martin. Robert is famous from the AND1 Mixtape Tour.

Kenyon's son, Kenyon Martin Jr., is also a basketball player. He played at IMG Academy and Sierra Canyon School. In 2020, his son entered the 2020 NBA draft. He was chosen by the Sacramento Kings.

See also

In Spanish: Kenyon Martin para niños