With the NBA Draft coming up this Thursday, we caught up with one the all-time great Suns picks in Shawn Marion for an in-depth interview.
The ninth overall pick of the 1999 draft out of UNLV, Marion spent nine seasons in purple and orange, in which he averaged 18.4 points, 10 rebounds and 1.9 steals a game. A four-time All-Star as a Sun, the “Matrix” ranks second on the franchise’s all-time leaders list for minutes played, rebounds and steals, third in blocks and fourth in points. A key member of the Suns’ squad that reached the Western Conference Finals in 2005 and 2006, he also ranks first in rebounds among the team’s career playoff leaders.
Traded to Miami in the deal that brought Shaquille O’Neal to Phoenix in 2008, Marion played seven more NBA seasons, including a championship season in Dallas in 2011. The athletic and versatile 6-7 forward announced his retirement last week, following a run to the NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Suns.com: Congratulations on making another trip to the NBA Finals.
Marion: Appreciate that. Not exactly the way you want to end your career. But I came in as a rookie competing and I leave as a runner-up in a championship series. It would’ve been nice to close that out and get another ring, though. That would been a really, really sweet ending to win it all.
But I tip my hat to Golden State. They played hard, (Warriors coach) Steve Kerr made some great adjustments and they were the best team all year. So I congratulate those young guys.
Suns.com: You officially announced your retirement this past week. How does it feel?
Marion: It’s feels good right now, because I’m on my own schedule. I don’t have to do anything. I don’t have any commitments. When you’re in the NBA, there are a lot of demands on your time. So to make your own schedule is kind of sweet actually. I’m on my way to see my family right now. We’re having a little reunion.
“Phoenix was special for me. That’s where it all started for me and my game really expanded every year, as well. I was able to grow as a player and as a person. People knew when I stepped on that floor that I was going to play hard and I was going to give you something exciting.”
— Shawn Marion
Suns.com: You told the Arizona Republic’s Paul Coro several months back that you were going to retire at the end of the season. When and how did you make that decision?
Marion: I contemplated retiring last summer. I just had the opportunity to make one more run at a championship that I decided to take advantage of in Cleveland.
But I’ve played a lot of minutes throughout my career and sooner or later you start breaking down. Little, minor injuries take longer to heal. I played through a lot of injuries, but the older you get, the harder it is. You wake up with aches and pains, so it becomes harder and harder.
I probably could have played a couple more years if I really, really wanted to, being a veteran on a bench. But that’s not me. That’s not in my character. I have too much pride to just sit and watch. You compete at a high level for so long and that drives you, getting up to play somebody and shut somebody down. That’s what makes the game so much fun. I like to compete, but the older you get, you can’t play 35-40 minutes a night anymore.
I also have a 1-year-old son now, Shawn David Marion. So your priorities change. And you’re missing a lot of things when you’re on the road all the time. They change every day when they’re young, and it was really tough watching that.
Is it really worth me trying to chase something? I mean, who wouldn’t want to go out with a championship? But how much can you keep trying to chase that? You’re just lying to yourself and disappointing your son.
Suns.com: Was it difficult at all when it actually came time to say goodbye?
Marion: It wasn’t hard. At the end of the day, it was a great run, man. It was awesome. I had a lot of great experiences and made some great relationships. I wanted to play 15 years in the NBA and I did that. I’m 37 and I played 16 years. That’s crazy.
It goes by so fast, though. To me it feels like a couple years ago I was coming into the league. But eventually you’ve got to stop. You can’t play forever. That’s a little harder for some guys to cope with. Because when you retire, you’re still young. That’s why you have to be smart with your money. That’s a blessing you’ve been given. You can live off your retirement, if you’ve taken care of your money. But you still have to so something to keep yourself busy and keep yourself active, regardless.
Suns.com: What are you most proud of in your career?
Marion: Man, you know, that’s interesting. I don’t know. We all want to be a champion, so I am proud of that, of course. But I guess I would say how long I was able to do it and be consistent doing it. I mean, of course, my scoring went down late in my career, but when I was able to get shots, I still had big nights. And I was able to adjust my game to everybody I played with.
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Suns.com: And you played with a lot of NBA greats over the years, from Jason Kidd to Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire to Grant Hill, Dirk Nowitzki to LeBron James…
Marion: Yeah, I played with some great guys and great players, and we won a lot of games. It’s been truly, truly awesome. It’s been a great run. Not everybody can say they had a winning percentage over their whole career.
Suns.com: What do you remember about coming in to the NBA, selected by Phoenix in the 1999 NBA Draft?
Marion: I came in as a playoff contender. We had “Backcourt 2000” with J-Kidd – that’s my man – and Penny Hardaway. Penny is my man, too. And Cliff Robinson, I just ran into him in Detroit and we’ve stayed in touch. All that guys on that team are my man (laughs). We had Oliver Miller, Todd Day, Tony Delk, Rodney Rogers… we had a squad, man!
We were picked to do some things. We were a top five team at the time. We were tough. We were solid. Everybody came together and we were making it happen. And I was starting, too. We beat the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, and then lost to the Lakers, who won the championship that year. But when you lose to the eventual champions, you feel a lot better.
Suns.com: Do you stay in touch with any of your former Suns teammates?
Suns Undercover: Shawn Marion
Marion: I’m pretty much in contact with almost everybody from my rookie season. You know, we may not talk all the time, but we connect somewhere down the line. We get in touch with each other. And I’m still in contact with a lot of guys. Me and Googs (Tom Gugliotta) have been playing phone tag the last week.
You know, those guys taught me how to be a professional. A lot of guys have been NBA players, but not all of them are professional. There’s a big difference. I was fortunate to learn the ins and outs of being a professional.
Phoenix was special for me. That’s where it all started for me and my game really expanded every year, as well. I was able to grow as a player and as a person. People knew when I stepped on that floor that I was going to play hard and I was going to give you something exciting.
Suns.com: Former Suns coach Mike D’Antoni was on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Friday morning and said that you did not get enough credit for moving over to power forward in his “seven seconds or less” offense. He said that your play at that position really influenced the entire league.
Marion: Man, you know, I’m a competitor. I’ll do whatever I need to do. If someone says I can’t do it, I want to prove them wrong and do it. I’ve been able to do that quite well. I got an opportunity to go out there and do it on multiple occasions.
I told somebody the other day, when I was playing power forward back in the day, I was really guarding power forwards. The game is different now. All those guys that were power forwards, they tried to dunk on you and put you in the basket. Now they play face up, so you can be undersized and guard those fours, because they’re not trying to bang you.
I was guarding Hall of Famers and I was giving them work. That’s what made it exciting for me. “I’m going to bust his ass tonight. He’s not getting $%*# on me.” Who cares if I get 25, if you get 25. I want to get 25 and hold you to 10. I don’t want you to score. I’m a competitor. I just want to win. So I’ll do whatever it takes to win. That’s what it boils down to.
Suns.com: How close were those teams in the mid-2000s to a championship?
Marion: It was real close. If a couple things go this way or that way, who knows? I think the year we were closest was in 2006, when we lost to Dallas in the Western Conference Finals. But we just ran out of juice. We had played the Lakers in the first round and went seven games. We played the Clippers in the Semis and went seven games. So when we got to Conference Finals, we had played a lot of minutes, and we didn’t have a lot of guys coming off the bench, and we just ran out of gas.
Suns.com: How special was it to finally win a championship with Dallas, after contending with Phoenix for several years?
Marion: That’s what it’s about. You lace your shoes up every season and go to training camp thinking about a championship. That’s the ultimate goal and everybody has those aspirations. But realistically there are only a handful of teams that can win a championship each year, and only if everything goes right. I got a chance to do that.
Suns.com: What would it mean to be inducted into the Suns’ Ring of Honor someday?
Marion: Man, that’s a big honor. You know, I enjoy life. I enjoy the moments, but any chance you get to leave a legacy behind, and a staple of what you accomplished, that’s pretty awesome man.
Like I said, I started in Phoenix. I made my first All-Star with Phoenix, running alongside Steph (Marbury). And I’m going to continue to be out there. I’ve been able to keep a crib out there and I like it. My plan is to bring my son to Spring Training out there. I’m a die-hard Cubs fan, so I’m going to be at Spring Training, enjoying their new facility.
Suns.com: What’s next for the Matrix?
Marion: I’m just going to try and relax and enjoy my life, man. Take my time. I’m going to start going hunting. Open up a few businesses here and there. I’ve got a couple things on the plate. I’m looking at possibly doing some things with the NBA. I’m studying to get my realtors license. I want to open a brokerage firm. Who knows, I might open one in Phoenix.
But my son is my top priority. I want to make sure he sees his daddy.