Kenyon Lee Martin (born December 30, 1977) is an American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "K-Mart", he has most recently played power forward for the Denver Nuggets of the NBA. He was selected first overall in the 2000 NBA Draft. He is 6'9" and 240 lbs.
Martin played for the Cincinnati Bearcats under the direction of Bob Huggins. As a senior, he averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. He was the consensus National Player of the Year, earning numerous awards from various organizations, but suffered a broken leg in the Conference USA Tournament, keeping him out of the NCAA Tournament that year. Cincinnati retired his #4 jersey on April 25, 2000. Later that year, he was selected first overall in the 2000 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets.
As a rookie for the New Jersey Nets, Martin brought his trademark intensity to the NBA. Moving from center to power forward, he averaged 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In his second season, Martin averaged 14.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game in helping the Nets rise from last place in the Atlantic Division to an Eastern Conference title and the best season to date in the Nets' NBA history. Along with Nets stars Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, Martin led the Nets to the 2002 NBA Finals, where they were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers. In his third season Martin again helped his team into the NBA Finals, where the Nets lost in six games against the San Antonio Spurs. The next year, Martin averaged 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks en route to his first NBA All-Star selection, as a backup forward for the Eastern Conference All-Stars. In the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, Martin scored 17 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 3 assists.
At the end of the 2003–04 season, Martin was traded to the Denver Nuggets for three future 1st round draft picks in a sign-and-trade deal.
Martin had a solid start to his Nuggets career before off-the-court issues and injuries began to snowball.
Martin played in 70 games during the 2004–05 season, averaging 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds. However, a problem with his knee was detected shortly into the off-season, and on May 16, 2005, Kenyon underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee.
During the 2005–06 season, Martin missed 26 games due to knee tendinitis, but was able to return in time for the playoffs. However, during that playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Martin was suspended from the Denver Nuggets indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team."[5] During halftime of game two of the first round series, Martin got into an argument with head coach George Karl over his playing time, and proceeded ironically to refuse to play for the second half of the game. During the offseason, Karl and Martin apparently "patched things up."[6]
Believing injuries were behind him, Kenyon and the Nuggets were crushed to learn the swelling now occurring in his right knee would require another microfracture procedure. On November 15, 2006, after playing just two regular season games, Martin underwent his second knee operation in less than two years.
During the third-quarter of a 2006 game against the Chicago Bulls, a fan sitting two rows behind Martin yelled at him, "Suit up, you chump," referring to the fact Martin was in the midst of one of his increasingly frequent stints on the injured reserve and in street clothes behind the Nuggets bench. All accounts indicate that the fan did not use any profanities. At that point, Martin is said to have stood up, pointed at the heckler, and then motioned to one of his 'bodyguards' to go confront the heckling fan, ordering "shut him up". His friend then stood up and yelled at the heckler, "Shut your mouth before we take you outside and beat your ass!." He also apparently screamed at a Nuggets fan named Don Miller--who, along with his teenage son, happened to be sitting next to the heckler--calling him a "fat fucking white boy." Martin was subsequently fined $15,000 and cautioned to no longer bring his entourage to games.[8][9]
On February 11, 2006, after a Denver win over the Dallas Mavericks, a volatile Martin was involved in a heated and profanity-laced locker room exchange with a local sports radio personality.[10]
To symbolize a fresh and healthy restart to his career, Kenyon changed his uniform number from 6 to the number 4, which he wore in college, for the 2007–08 season.[11]
The 2008–09 season campaign witnessed a mentally refurbished Kenyon Martin continuing his infamous commitment on the defensive end, helping lead the Nuggets to a franchise record-tying 54-28 record. The Nuggets lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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