Me performing in front of people and exciting people, thats what I like to do. The son of former No 1 pick in the NBA draft making a name for himself in the league with Houston Rockets. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images. Kenyon was the first-overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. He has an elder sister, Tamara, who watched him when their mother went to work. He played like it was his last game every game. Sporting News' NBA Draft expert, Sam Vecenie didn't have Martin in his two-round mock draft on March 19, though that was before he declared for the draft. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images. When he was going through a terrible March -- Martin committed three flagrant fouls and was suspended for four games, and cried at missing them -- his family rallied around him. I talked to R.J. and LaMelo both, Martin Jr. said. Martin Jr., who has yet to hire an agent, has been working on shooting off the dribble quicker, strength training, finishing creatively at the rim and being more versatile. Born in Michigan, but reared in south Dallas, Martin had posters of the Detroit Pistons' Bad Boys teams in his bedroom. In the next season, Martin helped his team to reach the 2002 NBA finals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. ''I love to compete at the highest level every time I step on the court. Im a fan. Martin said that some of his fathers close friends in the NBA, including Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Allen Iverson, had helped in his basketball development. Martin Jr. (fully named Kenyon KJ Lee Martin Jr.) was born on January 6, 2001, under the star sign Capricorn. Forgoing his basketball scholarship at Vanderbilt, Kenyon Martin Jr., 19, has declared for the upcoming draft, announcing the decision on Instagram. She is an original cast member of the reality television series The Real Housewives of Miami, appearing since its premiere in 2011. But Martin knows that is not Scott's way. Im kind of my own person, he commented in the interview. FILE: Kenyon Martin Jr. (L) of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers shares a moment with his father, Kenyon Martin Sr. (R), after their victory against the Etiwanda Eagles for the CIF State Regional Finals on March 17, 2018 in Long Beach, California. Larsa Pippen (Source: Instagram) Im very proud, Kenyon said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. Theres a certain art to dunking, one that separates itself from a crazy stepback or a flashy pass. His height is 2.06 m tall, and his weight is 106 kg. Kenyon Martin Martin's mother, Lydia Moore, has overcome discrimination, poverty and illness by shunning those who have mistreated her, and has reared two children by herself with her embracing love. He knows basketball is not a given.. In 2000, Martin won the NABC Defensive Player of the Year Award and Conference USA Player of the Year Award. Embarrassment came with it, too. You remember that crazy dunk he had? Me and Kevin being able to gel with each other, figure out each others game. His dad, of course, is Kenyon Martin Sr., the 15-year NBA veteran and former All-Star. The more that I thought about it, I understood. Follow all of your favorite Texas teams at Rockets Wire, Texans Wire,Aggies Wire, Cowboys Wire,andLonghorns Wire! Just getting better at my whole game. Perhaps some of that progress takes longer than intended. Along with learning from his father, gaining experience overseas helped better ready him for the NBA. He also played for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. High School: Bryan Adams in Dallas, Texas. Instead of swinging his arms at opponents, he has balled his fists to control his temper. I understand my son well. #Rockets rookie guard @kj_martin, says having a dad (Kenyon Martin), who played 15 years in the NBA, has helped him get where he is today: Its great. He developed chemistry with Kevin Porter Jr., excelled in running the floor (1.064 points per possession) and also when deployed as a small-ball big (1.04 points per possession). Im ecstatic.. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. He also learned a lot by watching his dad play. The workout will be conducted by renowned trainer and former NBA assistant coach Rico Hines, who has been working with the 18-year-old for more than a month at UCLA. In July 2015, he announced his retirement from professional basketball. How Kenyon Martin is supporting his sons decision to skip college and go pro. Me and Kevin being able to gel with each other, figure out each others game. ''I raised my children to have respect for everybody around them,'' Moore said recently in a telephone interview from her home in Dallas. Why doubt him now? Martin lives by his mother's motto, which has emboldened him this season, his second in the National Basketball Association with the Nets. The son of former NBA player Kenyon Martin Sr., Martin Jr. has declared for the 2020 NBA draft. But who cares what is the popular choice? Whatever comes with the game, take the opportunity and make the best out of it.. By way of comparison, Joel Embiid also has 31 dunks on the year but has played 1156 minutes to Martins 520. I love playing basketball. It wasnt something that was far-fetched. Martin Jr. is also open to spending the next year working out with a basketball trainer before potentially entering the 2020 NBA draft. He was excited to be on the court and his energy level showed it, Martin Sr. told The Undefeated. Christian Wood sign/trade triggered the hard cap, Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) November 23, 2020, #Rockets rookie guard @kj__martin, son of Kenyon Martin who played 15 years in the NBA, on hearing his name called in the 2nd round: It was great. Martin's son has given his family a new focus. Kenyon Martin Jr (Basketball Player) - Famous Birthdays He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasnt been able to in years and his knees still hurt. We took about a week to make sure he still wanted to do it. Matter of fact, Martin Jr's father and mother,seperated a long time ago. Because of his lack of volume shooting, defenses can tend to sag off him or ignore him completely. Martin has been described as arguably the best athlete in the draft and he did much better on the shooting drills than many expected, shooting 71% in the3-point endurance drill. You can play on both ends of the floor.. Kenyon said his son did not get the respect he deserved from those who ranked high school basketball players. Please logout and login again. I know what he needs to work on. Twenty years later, his son is hoping to follow in his fathers footsteps and make the NBA. The former NBA star gives his son a hard lesson off the court. While his sons name is Kenyon Martin Jr, the younger Martin wants to be known simply as KJ Martin. Kenyon Martin Jr. was born in Gardena, California. Kenyon MartinNet Worth 2023: Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Kids, Bio-Wiki, Yes (Kamron Martin, Cierra Reign Martin, Kenyon Martin Jr). I go by KJ. Im a proud father. Kenyon Martin Jr. is a basketball player who played for the IMG Academy. There, he has been able to join one of the NBA's brightest young cores headlined by top picks Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. Talking a bit about his spouse, Adkins is an Indiana native raised by her folks Jenny (ne Speck) Adkins and Donovan Adkins. Hes getting there. Youd think young players would be wary going up against people at least a half-foot taller than him. However, he continues to earn consistent playing time and keep his spot on the Houston Rockets' roster. On Friday, Kenyon Martin Jr of the Houston Rockets threw the hammer down over Lopez and it produced a hilarious reaction from the (h/t Bleacher Report on Twitter): The more that I thought about it, I understood. Martin's stuttering will always be a part of him, he said, just like the memories of the merciless teasing he endured as a child. Once the Nets clinched the Eastern Conference's top spot, he wanted to sit out the final three games to be careful in case he got into trouble and was suspended. Follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyIko, If the opportunity came up, I maybe would, Martin said. Kenyon Martin Wife: All About Shakira Watson [2023 - Players Bio Fans can get a glimpse at the players, coaches and officials competing to ascend to the NBA's rank. Like father, like son: KJ Martin follows in his dad's footsteps Kenyon Martin Jr. PPG 12.7 RPG 5.5 APG 1.5 PIE 10.2 HEIGHT 6'7" (2.01m) WEIGHT 215lb (98kg) COUNTRY USA LAST ATTENDED IMG Academy (FL) AGE 22 years With his athleticism, Silas is putting in two-man actions on the ball to generate downhill gravity and allow him to finish around the rim, where hes among the leagues best. Im his dad, but I tell people this now, if I was just going to watch a basketball game and he wasnt my son and he was playing in it, I like what I see. Now that Im in this situation, he gives me my space, but hes also still there for me when I ask for help, Martin Jr. says. [LaMelo] played for a year overseas [in Lithuania], and now he is going back again. A year from now if I get drafted, it will be a dream come true.. Your schoolwork. You might as well just get it done with. PRO BASKETBALL; Mother's Strong Motto Gives Martin an Edge He would always give me tips and tricks but let me do my own thing and figure stuff out, he said. Cousins at the veteran minimum exception plus 1 more minimum and a contract for 2nd rd. ''I'm a laid-back guy who plays hard. I went to a couple of games. And he is willing to do it. A lot of emotions go into that thought process. None of us had a daddy, no father, no male figure in the house. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. But the main thing is hes learned. No doubt, we need him like he's been all season. I love him in a situation where the guys have double-digit years in.. They also talked much more and directly. They won back-to-back state championships. While basketball skills werent a question for the son of the 2004 NBA All-Star who retired last year, effort in school was quite a different story. Kenyon Martin Jr. flew high into the air and dunked hard on some poor kid just like his daddy used to. You earn your name and he did. Kenyon Martin 1 draft pick Kenyon Martin was sitting courtside watching a basketball game when he yelled, Hey! just as a young kid went up for a dunk. In the same year, he was the Consensus first-team All-American. Kenyon Martin Net Worth 2023: Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Kids, The only personal thing known about Martin Jr is he is dating. And Kenyon enjoyed helping his son become the player that he is. While their father, Dell, was an above-average shooter in his time, his sons have gone on to become two of the best to ever do it. Its fun to play defense; I take pride in it. 2023 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Along with sharing a name, Kenyon Martin Jr. and his father share a similar style of play as well. Martin Jr. is slated to work out for professional teams on Tuesday in Las Vegas, where scouts from the NBA G League, Australia and New Zealand are expected to attend. About Us Before joining The Athletic, he was the senior writer for RocketsWire, a subset of USA Today Sports Media, and also contributed at ESPN 97.5 Houston. Thats what I want to do. Ive seen a bunch of guys play in the NBA up close. If he throws me out there, Ill give 100 percent no matter what.. You cant put him in a situation where he is not going to be all in. , Martin Sr. said he initially broke the news to Stackhouse but also made his son call him because he needed to hear from him., [Stackhouse] was upset, Martin Jr. said. He kept the same outlook when he was drafted late in the second round, and again when he was sent down to the G League bubble to play with the Rio Grande Vipers to get comfortable with reps, minutes and Rockets head coach Stephen Silas system. Jr '', Moore has a collage of Martin's worst faces, she said. Terms of Use, Kenyon Martin Jr. announced for the 2020 NBA Draft. Kenyon Martin Sr., who played 15 years in the NBA, could not be more proud and happy that his son, KJ, is following in his footsteps. It can be quite demanding growing up in an NBA household, especially one where your fathers name carries so much weight. The most obvious example being the Curry brothers. 1 pick in the 2000 NBA draft after spending four years at the University of Cincinnati. He was born on December 30, 1977, in Saginaw, Michigan, to a single Far from it. The dunk is for all the people who ever doubted him, everywhere. I just think he has tremendous upside, the skys the limit for him. While he said he felt pressure in his younger days from his family name, he has recently used it to his benefit. ''I tell him, 'Play your heart out.' Hes eligible. He plays in the NBA. WebMartin was born in Saginaw, Michigan on December 30, 1977 to Lydia Moore, a single mother of two. For you to follow your dreams and put the work behind it, and for that dream to come true for your oldest child, its sheer happiness and pride. In the rookie season, he averaged 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. We are going to show and prove, Martin told The Undefeated. '', So did Bob Huggins, who coached Martin for four years at Cincinnati. Martin Sr. then enrolled him at Chaminade. Kenyon Martin started his professional basketball career in 2000 when he was selected as first overall in the 2000 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. Martin Sr. was a bruising power forward bigger, thicker and with a vastly different game. In 2011, he signed a contract with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, which made him the highest-paid player in the Chinese leagues history. ''That's kind of ironic.''. Based on how the workout goes, we can work together with the NBL to determine if there is a fit that allows K.J. Houston is another team backed up against the hard cap. Kenyon Martin is a popular former professional basketball player from America who played in a total of fifteen seasons in the NBA (National Basketball Association). Kenyon Martin Jr. won't wind up as the No. The most impressive aspect of his rim protection has to be his timing. He's not a mean person -- he loves people.''. Further, he is a recipient of a three-star recruit from Sierra Canyon School who played alongside Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cassius Stanley. Financial terms for Martins contract were not disclosed, but he is believed to be making the NBAs minimum salary. With Porter and Wall sidelined, rookie Kenyon Martin Jr. becomes a bankable building block in both redraft and daily fantasy competitions. And those feelings multiplied in a big way when KJ signed his first professional contract. Reportedly the 2nd round late draftee has the three years contract worth $4,198,912, earning annually $1,399,637. Despite his NBA success, Martin Sr. has never forgotten his humble beginnings without a father and often reminds his son about that. The proud papa jumped to his feet holding his young daughter in celebration during one of many dunks to come for the Chaminade College Preparatory School sophomore forward. But Martin Jr.s block list features quite the collection of big men James Wiseman, Kristaps Porzingis and Boban Marjonovic, to name a few more. I understand my son well. I have an extremely high IQ for the game of basketball and I can articulate it to a child, Kenyon said. Kenyon Martin His first two wives are Fatimah Conley and Heather Martin. So we want to definitely take a look at K.J. Our communication is better. He has a different attitude and mindset toward school now, Martin Sr. said. And third, just going out and playing hard. Kenyon Martin has been married thrice. But according to a former college teammate of Martin Sr., father and son share traits that transcend their differing paths Athleticism is the obvious one, but theres a stark similarity in their work ethic, toughness, willingness to play defense and on-court swagger. He is the father of three children. I love it that he wants to have his own identitybecause his game is different than mine, Kenyon said. Originally, Martin committed to play for Vanderbilt prior to opting for a postgraduate year at IMG Academy. Fast forward 20 years later and his son, KJ, was taken by Sacramento in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Rockets. The relation between Martin Jr with his father has always been great and always supportive. He averaged 20 points and eight rebounds per game at Academy, which helped him to draw praise for his athleticism. Before he went down to IMG, I can count how many basketball games that I had missed up to that point, which was like maybe one AAU game, Kenyon said. (Photo by Cassy Athena/Getty Images). ''He's the type of person when he found he had a natural knack for basketball, he played it with so much passion,'' she said. November 8th 2022 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. is becoming more amenable to the idea of continuing his career in Houston, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, who hears from sources that Martin is open to signing a contract extension with the team. The Sacramento Kings selected him with the 52nd pick, but he quickly made his way over to the Houston Rockets. Its gonna be a lot more of that.. You average a double-double on two state championship teams and they have you ranked 237th? The Cincinnati Bearcats retired the jersey number four in honor of him. Did you do this? I would prefer him to be here than on a team where the oldest guy is 26. His grades and study habits improved dramatically as he earned all As his first semester at Fusion. Moore has recently dealt with Bell's palsy and she thought she might have had a stroke in October. In Houston, hes been asked to do a few things on that end: fill the lanes when necessary, spot up in the corners for spacing purposes and, interestingly enough, serve as a small-ball big. I would have to see how Im feeling at the time but it would be a cool thing to do.. Duane Washington Jr. With His Wife & Child (Source: Instagram) On November 24, 2022, they welcomed a baby boy, Three. Kenyon had relationships with Dollicia Bryan (2010), Vanessa Lopez (2007), and Draya Michele, among others. Im a Rocket. Kenyon Lee Martin Sr. has a lot of tools and ability that his father displayed during a very successful career in the NBA, Chaudhari said. Kenyon Martin Jr. is 22 years old and the son of Kenyon Martin, a former NBA All-Star. So when I run plays back for (KJ) that happened during the course of his game and hes like you remember that, you cant help but to listen to that. Hes learned tendencies and close-out technique so the ball doesnt get to the middle of the floor.. '', See the article in its original context from. That is, uh, pretty good. I know basketball well. But that has also never deterred him. His energy helped a lot, and that is what Im trying to bring to my game, energy, and try to help in any way my team needs.. Just working on getting my shot off the dribble, continuing to make my shot more consistent and building on myself as a basketball player, Martin said. In that regard, Martin has done his job. And I think hes on the right team. Martin was teased as a child for having light skin. ''No matter how bad the day is going, to see him smile would put a smile on anybody's face,'' Martin said. December 23, 2016. ''I'm not a Dennis Rodman,'' Martin said. Its on me to get him prepared and put him in the best position possible to reach his ultimate goal, which is to play in the NBA.. But Kenyon Martin Sr. is actually more proud of his maturing sons newfound success in the classroom than what he is doing on the court. He understands the circumstances of not being able to play last year. 1 pick landed an All-Star nomination in 2004. There is plenty more to do, and it wont come easy. Martin is a well-known former American basketball player who played for 15 seasons in The NBA. Nowadays, guys his size can play multiple positions so it works out for him. He was the part of the 2004 NBA All-Star and the 2001 NBA All-Rookie First Team. I remember him playing hard and aggressive, Martin Jr. said. He's our energy. He said he expects to decide where he will play professionally a week after his workout. But their bond helped him follow in Kenyon Sr.s footsteps (Photo by Cassy Athena/Getty Images). To acquire the guard/forward, the team is giving up cash considerations and a 2021 second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers. His mom's name is Heather. Martins athleticism, and the way he leverages at the rim, is the first thing that jumps off the page about his game.