Brooklyn Nets: 25 Best Players To Play For The Nets
By Phil Watson
player. 147. <strong>How acquired:</strong> 1st overall pick from Cincinnati, 2000 NBA Draft.. PF. 2000-04. Kenyon Martin. 22
Kenyon Martin was the consensus national player of the year as a senior at Cincinnati, averaging almost 19 points and 10 rebounds per game, but was sidelined late in the season by a broken leg. The New Jersey Nets didn’t flinch and took Martin with the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft.
Martin was an All-Rookie selection in 2000-01 and was an All-Star in 2004.
He was also part of the New Jersey teams that reached the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.
In the four-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002, Martin averaged a team-best 22 points along with 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and a block in 39.5 minutes per game, shooting .467/1-for-5/.654.
In the 2003 NBA Finals, Martin averaged 14.7 points, 10 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals in 37.5 minutes per game, shooting .343/0-for-5/.667 in a six-game loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
In July 2004, he was sent to the Denver Nuggets in a sign-and-trade deal, with the Nets getting back a first-round pick in 2005 and two first-round selections in 2006.
In four seasons in New Jersey, Martin averaged 15.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals in 34.1 minutes per game, shooting .467/.219/.663.
After playing in China during the NBA lockout in 2011, Martin returned to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2012. Out of the NBA until February 2013, he signed two 10-day contracts and later signed for the remainder of the season with the New York Knicks.
Unsigned as a free agent after the 2013-14 season, Martin returned to the league with the Milwaukee Bucks on two 10-day contracts in January 2015, eventually signing for the season. But he was waived in February 2015 and announced his retirement in July 2015.
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