Former Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets star Kenyon Martin believes if he could have been a top pick in today’s game, he would’ve been one of the most dominant forces in the NBA.
Fifteen-year NBA veteran Kenyon Martin is one of the great what-if stories in the league. After an impressive run at Cincinnati, he was taken with the top overall pick in the 2000 draft by the Brooklyn Nets. There was a lot of hype around his potential due to his amazing athleticism for a 6-foot-9 big man and his unlimited motor.
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Martin was a major part of the Nets’ rise to prominence and played a key role in back-to-back trips to the Finals in the early part of this century. However, for as talented as he was injuries were a constant hindrance during his run in Brooklyn, and even more so with the Denver Nuggets. He would end up playing with three more teams before retiring in 2105.
Looking back at it now, he seemed like a player a couple of decades two early and an athlete who probably could have excelled if he played in the more wide-open style the NBA today. Martin recently spoke with Sportsnaut (video above) about his role as the new Chief Basketball Advisor with Jump Shot Live. During the conversation he was asked about how he believes he would have done if he played now, and he had little doubt he would have been one of the best in the game.
- Kenyon Martin stats (Career): 15 seasons, 12.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.2 BPG, 1.1 SPG
Kenyon Martin believes he would have been a beast in today’s NBA
“I would have been great in this NBA,” Martin said. “I could guard one through five. So guarding one through five now wouldn’t be a thing. I would have longevity just being a stretch four, stretch five now. Still athletic. Still cerebral in a way that amazes people who talk basketball with me. I think I would have faired just fine in this NBA.
“I definitely would have been one of the better players in this league, I believe. With the medicine. The technology. The training, all that stuff. Yeah, no doubt in my mind,” he added. “Being able to guard one through five. Able to have different dynamics in my game. Being able to post up. Able to shoot jump shots. Being able to shoot mid-range. I think I would have been fine.”
Keyon Martin was a one-time All-Star and played with five different teams in the league, including the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers. Only four times during his career did he play 70 or more games. He twice had to undergo microfracture procedures during his career.
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