Kevin Martin (basketball, born 1983) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kevin Martin

Martin with Minnesota in 2014
Personal information
Born	(1983-02-01) February 1, 1983 (age 42) Zanesville, Ohio, U.S.
High school	Zanesville (Zanesville, Ohio)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College	Western Carolina (2001–2004)
NBA Draft	2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26th overall
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Pro career	2004–2016
Career history
2004–2010	Sacramento Kings
2010–2012	Houston Rockets
2012–2013	Oklahoma City Thunder
2013–2016	Minnesota Timberwolves
2016	San Antonio Spurs
Career highlights and awards
2× First-team All-SoCon (2003, 2004) Second-team All-SoCon (2002) SoCon All-Freshman Team (2002) No. 32 retired by Western Carolina University
Career statistics
Points	12,396 (17.4 ppg)
Rebounds	2,278 (3.2 rpg)
Assists	1,352 (1.9 apg)

Kevin Dallas Martin Jr. (born February 1, 1983) is a retired American professional basketball player. He played for 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kevin played college basketball at Western Carolina University. In his third year, he scored an amazing 24.9 points per game. This was the second-highest average in the whole country! After three years, he joined the 2004 NBA draft. The Sacramento Kings picked him as the 26th player overall.

Early Life and Basketball Dreams

Kevin Martin was born in Zanesville, Ohio. He always looked up to basketball legend Michael Jordan. He played basketball at Zanesville High School. In his senior year, he was one of the top players in Ohio. He finished behind LeBron James, who was only a sophomore at the time.

College Basketball Career

Kevin earned a full scholarship to Western Carolina University. He studied sport management there. On November 22, 2002, Kevin scored a college career-high 46 points. This happened in a game against Coastal Carolina. A year later, on November 21, 2003, he scored 44 points against Georgia.

Kevin ranks fourth on Western Carolina's all-time scoring list. He scored a total of 1,838 points. During his three years in college, he averaged 23.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.

Playing in the NBA

Sacramento Kings (2004–2010)

Kevin Martin was a star player in college. Because of his success, the Sacramento Kings chose him in the 2004 NBA draft. He was the 26th player picked overall.

Martin in 2005 during his time with the Kings

In his first season (2004–05), Kevin played only about 10 minutes per game. He averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists.

The next year (2005–06), Kevin improved a lot. He averaged 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. He also started some games when other players were injured. In the playoffs, he made a game-winning shot against the San Antonio Spurs. This shot helped the Kings win Game 3 of the series.

Kevin gave credit to other players for helping him. He said Doug Christie taught him how to play defense. He also said Cuttino Mobley helped him with his shooting.

Before the 2006–07 season, many general managers thought Kevin would have a great year. He proved them right! He became one of the top scorers in the NBA. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He was also a great shooter, making 47.3% of his shots. He finished second for the NBA Most Improved Player Award.

On March 17, 2007, Kevin led the Kings to a win over the Orlando Magic. He scored 20 points with only one shot made from the field. He made most of his points (17 of 20) from the free-throw line.

On August 28, 2007, the Sacramento Kings signed Kevin to a big contract. It was a 5-year deal worth $55 million.

Martin with the Kings in 2008

Kevin started the 2007–08 season very strong. For the first 15 games, he was the NBA's leading scorer. He averaged 29.6 points per game. He finished the season averaging 23.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He shot 45% from the field and 40% from three-point range. However, he missed 17 games because of a groin injury. On March 7, 2008, Kevin scored 48 points in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kevin became the team leader after Ron Artest was traded. He started the next season well but then hurt his ankle. He came back, but the injury got worse. After returning again, he helped the Kings break a losing streak. Kevin averaged 24.6 points per game for the rest of the season. On April 1, 2009, he scored a career-high 50 points against the Golden State Warriors. He was the first Kings player to score 50 points since Chris Webber in 2001. On November 2, 2009, Kevin scored 48 points, including 7 three-pointers. This helped the Kings win in overtime against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Houston Rockets (2010–2012)

Kevin was traded to the Houston Rockets on February 18, 2010. This was part of a three-team trade. In his first game as a Rocket, he scored 14 points. On April 12, he played his first game back in Sacramento. He scored 39 points, making all 16 of his free throws.

On December 11, 2010, Kevin scored 40 points in a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then scored a season-high 45 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 5, 2011. By the end of the season, he averaged 23.5 points per game. He shot 38.3% from three-point range and almost 90% from the free-throw line. Kevin averaged 7.4 made free throws per game, which was second only to Kevin Durant in the NBA.

During the 2011–12 season, Kevin suffered a shoulder injury. He tried to play through it but hurt it again. An MRI showed a tear in his right shoulder. He missed the rest of the season. His scoring numbers dropped to 17.1 points per game. This was his lowest average as a full-time starter.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2012–2013)

On October 27, 2012, Kevin was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was traded along with Jeremy Lamb and three future draft picks. In return, the Rockets received James Harden and other players. In the playoffs, Kevin scored 25 points in a game against his former team, the Houston Rockets. The Thunder won and moved on in the playoffs.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2013–2016)

On July 2, 2013, Kevin agreed to sign a four-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The deal was worth $28 million. He was officially acquired by the Timberwolves on July 11, 2013. On November 3, 2013, Kevin scored 30 points. He made all 5 of his three-point shots as the Timberwolves beat the New York Knicks.

On November 25, 2014, Kevin had surgery on his right wrist. He was out for six to eight weeks. On March 1, 2016, the Timberwolves released Kevin from his contract.

San Antonio Spurs (2016)

On March 9, 2016, Kevin signed with the San Antonio Spurs. His best game as a Spur was on April 8, 2016. He scored 17 points against the Denver Nuggets. Kevin's last game was on May 12, 2016. It was a playoff game where the Spurs lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Retirement from Basketball

On November 24, 2016, Kevin Martin announced that he was retiring from the NBA.

Player Profile

Martin attacking the rim during a game in 2014

Kevin Martin was six feet, seven inches tall and weighed 200 pounds. He played the shooting guard position. He averaged 17.4 points per game in his career. This showed he was a very good scorer in the NBA. Even with his unique shooting style and thin build, he scored a lot of points. He was also known for being very quick.

Kevin often got to the free-throw line and made a high percentage of his shots. He led the NBA in free throws made in the 2010–11 season. He was considered an average defender. He had good awareness but was not very strong. In 2010, NBA legend Reggie Miller said Kevin Martin reminded him of his own playing style. Miller said Kevin was "Thin, great coming off screens, can knock down threes."

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season Games

Playoff Games

Life After Playing Basketball

On October 1, 2019, the Brisbane Bullets basketball team in Australia announced new owners. Kevin Martin was part of this new ownership group.

Personal Life and Community Work

In 2007, Kevin traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa. He took part in the Basketball Without Borders Program. He also helped with Habitat for Humanity, building homes for people. In June 2010, Kevin volunteered to pay for the funeral of a six-year-old boy. The boy died in a school bus accident near Kevin's hometown. Kevin also supports a law in Ohio that requires seat belts in school buses. Kevin married Jill Arnold on July 15, 2011, in Clearwater Beach, Florida.

See also

In Spanish: Kevin Martin para niños

• List of National Basketball Association career free throw percentage leaders