Background and career
Shawn Dwayne Marion (born May 7, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He finished his career as a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA Team and a one-time NBA champion, helping the Dallas Mavericks win their maiden title in 2011. Nicknamed "The Matrix" by former NBA player Kenny Smith during the preseason of his rookie year, Marion was widely regarded as one of the most versatile players in the league because of his athleticism and ability to play and defend many positions. He was also known for his unorthodox shooting form.
Marion was born on May 7, 1978, in Waukegan, Illinois, which is about an hour north of Chicago, and played high school basketball in Clarksville, Tennessee, at Clarksville High School, where he was a teammate of fellow future NBA player Trenton Hassell. Marion lettered three years in basketball and earned All-Region and District honors while also being nominated as a McDonald's All-American. As a senior, he averaged 26.4 points and 13.1 rebounds, led his team to the Final 8 of the Tennessee Class AAA State Tournament, earned MVP honors, and was selected to the first-team Tennessee All-State Team. Marion was named as one of the greatest high school basketball players in Tennessee history.
After high school, Marion attended Vincennes University, a junior college in Indiana, for two years. He was a first-team All-American selection as a sophomore and a second-team All-American selection as a freshman. As a freshman in 1996–97, Marion appeared in 36 games and averaged 23.3 points and 12.8 rebounds (462 total). He shot 56 percent from the field (324-for-516) and 69 percent from the free throw line (124-for-178). Marion's 838 total points as a freshman established him as the second-highest single-season total in school history. As a sophomore in 1997–98, Marion appeared in 36 games and averaged 23.5 points (847 total points) and 13.1 rebounds (471 total). He shot 60 percent from the field (331-for-549), 38 percent from 3-point range (21-for-56) and 75 percent from the free throw line (122-for-163). Marion was subsequently named the 1998 NJCAA David Rowlands Male Student Athlete of the Year. He averaged 23.4 points (1,685 total points) in his career and is Vincennes University's second all-time leading scorer. In May 1998, Marion signed a National Letter of Intent to play for UNLV. As a junior at UNLV in 1998–99, Marion averaged 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.9 blocks in 29 games. He was named to the Western Athletic Conference Mountain Division First Team, All-Newcomer Team and All-Defensive Team. In March 1999, Marion said his intention was to stay for his senior season, graduate, and try to win an NCAA championship. However, while trying to gauge where he stood with the NBA scouts, Marion learned that he was highly regarded and that he was looking at going no lower than the middle of the first round. As a result, Marion declared for the 1999 NBA draft in April.
Marion was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft. Due to a left knee injury, he missed 31 games between December and February of the 1999–2000 season. Marion was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and in 51 games (38 starts), he averaged 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.8 steals and 24.7 minutes. Marion averaged 17.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.4 blocks and 36.2 minutes in 78 starts during the 2000–01 season. He played for the Sophomores in the Rookie Challenge during the NBA All-Star Weekend and finished with 18 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in 24 minutes. Marion increased his averages to 19.1 points and 9.9 rebounds in 2001–02, and again in 2002–03 to 21.2 points with 9.5 rebounds. He was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in 2003. In 2003–04, Marion averaged 19.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.3 blocks and 40.7 minutes in 79 games (79 starts). He led the NBA in total steals (167) and joined 2003–04 MVP Kevin Garnett as the only two players to rank in the top 30 in scoring (19th), rebounds (14th), steals (2nd), blocks (27th) and minutes (2nd). Following the season, Marion played for the U.S. national team at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2004–05, Marion started all 81 games for the Suns in which he appeared and averaged 19.4 points (.476 FG%, .833 FT%), 11.3 rebounds, 2.01 steals, 1.9 assists, 1.47 blocks and 38.8 minutes. Marion was named Western Conference Player of the Week twice (weeks ending November 28 and December 19), was named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star Team, and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team. He was the only player in 2004–05 to be ranked in the top 25 in scoring (23rd), rebounding (3rd), steals (4th), blocks (23rd) and minutes (9th). Marion also became only the second player in NBA history (joining David Robinson, 1991–92) to rank in the top five in rebounding and steals in the same season since the league began tracking steals in 1973–74. During NBA All-Star Weekend, he was a member of the Phoenix team that won the Shooting Stars Competition.
In 2005–06, Marion started each of the 81 games he appeared in for the Suns and averaged 21.8 points (.525 FG%, .809 FT%), 11.8 rebounds, 1.98 steals, 1.8 assists, 1.69 blocks and 40.3 minutes. He was named Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of February, and was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the week ending January 1. Marion was once again named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star Team and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team for the second consecutive year. He became the first player in NBA history to finish in the top five in both rebounding and steals in consecutive years since the 1973–74 season. Marion was joined by Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand, and Yao Ming as the only players in the NBA to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in the 2005–06 season. On February 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 44 points against the Boston Celtics. Marion became only the second Suns player in franchise history (after Charles Barkley) to record three consecutive 30-point/15-rebound games (February 22–27). He also became the first Sun since Barkley to record a 30-point/20-rebound game with 31 points and an NBA season-high (and personal career-high) 24 rebounds against the Charlotte Bobcats on February 25. In 2006–07, Marion led the NBA in total steals (156) and received seven first place votes and finished fourth in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. Marion scored his 10,000th career point in the season-opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 31, 2006. He was once again named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star Team. In September 2007, with trade rumors swirling around him, Marion declared that he wanted out of Phoenix. Marion had been mentioned in trade scenarios involving the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. He said he would welcome a trade to the Lakers to play with his good friend Kobe Bryant. During the summer, Marion had reportedly prevented a three-team deal that would have sent him to Boston with an extension, Garnett to Phoenix, and draft picks to Minnesota. On November 9, 2007, Marion tied his career high with 24 rebounds in a 106–101 victory over the Miami Heat.
On February 6, 2008, Marion was acquired by the Miami Heat, along with Marcus Banks, from the Suns in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal. On March 8, he participated in the first replayed NBA game since 1982, as the Heat played the Atlanta Hawks to settle a disputed last 51.9 seconds from their encounter on December 19, 2007. Marion, who had played for the Suns on December 19 and participated in the replayed 51.9 seconds, officially went down as having played for two different teams on the same day.
