Cleveland Cavaliers: 15 NBA stars you forgot played for the Cavs
By Tony Pesta
11. Shawn Marion (2014-15)
Shawn Marion was one of the first veteran assets the Cleveland Cavaliers added following the return of LeBron James. The franchise had a promising core of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and James but knew they needed more playoff experience to truly compete.
This is where Marion came into play. The four-time All-Star had appeared in 10 postseasons and earned James’ respect by helping dethrone him en route to a championship with the Dallas Mavericks.
Marion came into stardom with the Phoenix Suns for his skills as a two-way player. He had his best season in 2006 when he put up 21.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks a night.
The Cavaliers were never planning on giving Marion a large role. At 36 years of age, he was there mostly for his locker room presence. Still, he ended up starting in 24 games during the regular season but was a complete non-factor in the playoffs.
In fact, Marion didn’t even play a single minute in the 2015 NBA Finals despite the Cavaliers being majorly understaffed due to injuries. He was a detriment offensively and served little purpose on defense. By the end of the season, Marion announced his retirement from the NBA.