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Shawn Marion doesn’t do long black coats. Only occasionally do you see him in sunglasses. But the Phoenix Suns forward didn’t get the nickname ‘The Matrix’ because of his look. According to former NBA guard Kenny Smith, who came up with the tag, it all fits because “he can do everything.”

Versatility in any sport can be a blessing or a curse. Think of the midfielder who can also play striker in soccer. Someone gets injured, they change position. But they never get the chance to establish themselves in one role or the other. Marion has spent time at centre, power forward and small forward – and that’s just this season. But you won’t hear Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni complaining. Not when his All-Star can make an impact wherever and however he performs.

Shawn Marion (Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty)

Named to the All-NBA Third Team this season and last, Marion is only now getting the appreciation his game deserves. That’s what happens when you are a chameleon. You escape the attention. Not that he minded flying under the radar. “I pride myself in everything that I do night-in and night-out on the floor,” he admitted. “It's a testament of what I do as an individual and what my team does as a whole. It's a good sign for us.

“You can't go out there and win with one person. It takes five people to go out there and win. It takes 13 players to make a team and to win. Everything is about the team and that is what I factor in to all of this about my team-mates. I do all these things because of my team-mates. Yeah, some of this stuff I do is on me, but it is not possible without my team-mates.”

Marion ’s willingness to carry the load is one of the main reasons why the Suns scorched through the regular season to the Pacific Division title this season, despite losing All-Star centre Amare Stoudemire for all but a handful of games due to injury. “ It’s not just me,” he says modestly. “ Everybody accepted the challenge of trying to go out there and stop people.”

Hard work has never been a problem. As a teenager he worked in Burger King during the school vacation and cleaned out old buildings in his native Chicago. It wasn’t always easy, one of the reasons why he has devoted time and money to lending others a hand. Building basketball courts. Buying tickets for kids. And visiting American troops overseas.

In between, he goes to the cinema, chooses from his vast collection of CDs and hits the joystick to take on a video game. Growing up, did he have a favourite? “ It had to be NBA Live on the Super Nintendo,” he states. “I played Bulls vs. Blazers and Bulls vs. Lakers. It was great.”

Now it’s Suns vs. all-comers. The Matrix against whoever is sent to guard him. With a little help from point guard and running mate Steve Nash, who was crowned as NBA Most Valuable Player again this season. With so many changes in Phoenix this year, no-one expected their side to stay at the top. Marion’s willingness to bend his game and spin it 360 degrees if required was a crucial ingredient in the mix.

“It comes down to how quickly you can gel together,” he explains. “I think sometimes people don't realize it takes a little while for people to build chemistry for teams. With us having primarily new faces on the team it was a little tough at first, but with Steve and I leading the way, and unselfish as we are, it helped make this process a lot easier.”

That’s Marion’s simple formula. Something you never hear said about a matrix.