Kevin Martin (basketball)
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| Position | Shooting guard |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| League | NBA |
| Team | Sacramento Kings |
| Jersey | #23 |
| Born | February 1, 1983 Zanesville, Ohio |
| Nationality | USA |
| College | Western Carolina |
| Draft | 26th overall, 2004 Sacramento Kings |
| Pro career | 2004–present |
| Awards | Oscar Robertson Triple Double Award |
| Official profile | Info Page |
Kevin Dallas Martin, Jr. (born February 1, 1983) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA. He is known for his knack for scoring, deceptive quickness and unorthodox style of shooting.
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[edit] High School and College
Born in Zanesville, Ohio, he played for Zanesville High School and was named to the All American team. He then received a full scholarship to Western Carolina University, where he majored in sports management. He ranks fourth all-time on Western Carolina's scoring list with 1,838 points. He went on and led his team to a Div III Championship, his Senoir Year.
[edit] NBA Career
Martin was a standout while at Western Carolina. Due to his success, he was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 26th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.
[edit] 2004-05
In the 2004–05 season, Martin averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game, and played sparingly. He, for much of the season, accepted the role of 12th man, which gained him much respect throughout the Kings organization.
[edit] 2005-06
He showed much improvement the following year, averaging 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Martin also started from time to time during the 2005–06 season in part by the injury of Bonzi Wells. This included a start at small forward due to Ron Artest being suspended for Game Two of the team's first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs following a flagrant foul (elbow to the head) on Manu Ginobili. He is best known in that series for making the game winning buzzer beater in Game 3 in Sacramento that gave the Kings a 1-2 series against the Spurs. His shot was also over the San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan.
When interviewed on a segment by TNT during a game, Martin credited Doug Christie for helping him learn how to defend in the NBA. Likewise, Martin also credited Cuttino Mobley for helping him with his shooting. Martin played behind both guards during their tenure with the Kings.
[edit] 2006-07
In the general managers' survey at the start of the 2006–07 NBA season, Martin tied for second as the player most likely to have a breakout campaign, behind Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard.[1] During the 2006-07 season, Kevin Martin proved himself to be among the top scorers in the NBA, averaging 20.2 points per game, while averaging 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists, all career highs. He is also one of the best shooters in the league with a 47.3% shooting percentage from the field and 38.1% from beyond the three-point arc (along with 84.4% FT shooting). Kevin finished second to Monta Ellis in the NBA Most Improved Player Award, despite most people believing he deserved the honor.
On August 28th, 2007, the Sacramento Kings and Martin agreed to a 5-year, $55 million deal. [2]
[edit] 2007-08
Martin got off to a fast start to the NBA season, while in the first 15 games was the NBA's leading scorer with 29.6 PPG. Martin finished the season 6th in the NBA in scoring at 23.7PPG, 5.3RPG, 2.1APG and averaging 44% from the court and 40% from three point range. However, he missed 17 games due to a groin injury. Also during the year, on March 7, 2008, Martin scored a career high 48 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Kevin Martin Info Page at NBA.com
- Kevin Martin Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
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