Most lottery picks don’t have the luxury of joining a veteran-laden, 50-win team that’s already used to winning. But when Cavaliers veteran Shawn Marion was tabbed with the ninth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns in the 1999 Draft, he jumped on the fast-track fresh off a stellar college career at UNLV.
Marion entered the Association as part of one of the deepest Drafts in NBA history – one that saw Elton Brand and Steve Franchise go 1-2, followed by the likes of Baron Davis, Lamar Odom, Jason Terry, Ron Artest, Corey Maggette and Manu Ginobili. From a Cleveland perspective, Andre Miller went one pick before “the Matrix” and Trajan Langdon two picks after. Current Cavaliers assistant and Twinsburg native, James Posey, was taken with the 18th overall selection by the Denver Nuggets.
Once Marion got to Phoenix, it didn’t take him long to get assimilated to the NBA game. He started immediately as a rookie and notched double-figures in seven of his first nine games as a pro. Fourteen seasons later, Marion arrived on the North Coast having averaged 15.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest in 1,106 games with Phoenix, Miami, Toronto and Dallas. He’s shot at least 50 percent from the floor in six of his 15 seasons and is a .458 lifetime shooter.
In terms of NBA elite, the man his teammates call “’Trix” is one of only four players in league history (joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett) with at least 17,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals and 1,000 blocks.
As a rookie, Marion joined a Suns squad that featured the likes of Jason Kidd, Penny Hardaway, Clifford Robinson, Tom Gugliotta, Rodney Rogers and Rex Chapman. And as the Wine and Gold make their annual stop in the Valley of the Sun, the Matrix took a moment to reflect on his freshman campaign in today’s installment of Rookie Tales …
Everything you need to know leading up until February.
Do you ever reflect on how deep the 1999 Draft was and how, in some ways, it shaped the league?
Shawn Marion: That was a great Draft class. It was awesome.
How about the fact that you were almost initially drafted by the Cavaliers – sandwiched between Andre Miller and Trajan Langdon?
Marion: No, I never thought about that. I think I did work out for Cleveland that year. They were a lottery team and I remember that I worked out for the top 10 teams.
You had two different coaches with two distinct styles in your first couple years in Phoenix. How did that shape your career?
Marion: I had Danny Ainge first, then Scott Skiles. Both of them played in the league, but both had different styles. Scott Skiles was a perfectionist, and I kinda liked that. He demanded that you get better: Go out, play hard and compete. I loved it.
Danny was laid-back and pretty chill. He wanted everybody to just go out and play. He felt like he had a veteran team; guys knew the game and how to approach it. He had a system he wanted orchestrated. And I think the reason he parted ways with the team after my first year was because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Most lottery picks come into a tough situation, but the Suns were a 50-win team when you arrived. What was that like as a rookie?
Marion: It was good. I came in and went to a team that was already established. I started right away and was able to make an impact immediately. We had some great veterans on that team: J-Kidd, Penny Hardaway, Rex (Chapman), Cliff Robinson, Rodney Rogers. All of them were great teammates, man. I was really respectful and I commend all those guys. Thunder Dan (Majerle) came in. We had some great veterans.
How beneficial was it to have a future Hall of Fame point guard like Jason Kidd running the show?
Marion: It was awesome! It speaks for itself. In my second year, he was like: ‘Trix, you bring it up the floor.’ He was like: ‘Play the game. Play hard and compete and good things will happen for you.’
You talk about going to the veterans’ houses for dinner, trying to learn as much as you could as a rookie. What was your thinking behind that?
Marion: I wanted to know what it’s like being in this league and what it takes to be a professional. Anybody can come in and be an NBA player, but most guys never learn to be a professional. There are guys who literally spend 10-12 years in the league and never learn what it’s like to be a professional, as crazy as that sounds. And there is a difference. Once you figure that out, you figure out the NBA.
What did you learn from those experiences and how did the vets respond?
Marion: It was great, and they saw how hungry I was to succeed in this league. How to be a veteran – to last. I think a lot of guys don’t understand how much work you have to put in to really be successful at this game.
There’s so much more than just coming to the gym and getting shots up. You win as a team; you lose as an individual. This is a team sport.
Was Tom Gugliotta the best cook because he’s Italian?
Marion: (laughs) Nah, man! Googs didn’t cook, but I used to kick it with him. We had a great time together. It was tragic because he went down and he tore everything in his knee. It was amazing to see him come back from all that. But he was an awesome guy. I keep in contact with him. Most of the guys I played with, we’re definitely still cool.
Were any of the vets especially tough on you? Did you have to go through the standard rookie hazing?
Marion: No. And I was the only rookie on the team!
I had Cliff (Robinson) tell me to get some donuts one morning in Training Camp – it was in Flagstaff, I remember – and there was something in the way he said it to me. And I said: ‘I’m a grown-ass man, but I’ll get you some donuts.’ And, you know, he never asked me again. After that, nobody made me do anything. No newspapers, no donuts, no bags. None of that.
Which vets took you under their wing?
Marion: You know what, it was between J-Kidd, Penny and Cliff, because I was hanging with those guys on the road. I remember that was the first time I tried Goldschläger. I’ll never drink that (stuff) again. That was the first and last time I ever drank that (stuff).
What did that teach you?
Marion: I think that you have to learn from your mistakes. Ain’t nobody perfect. We’re all going to have ups and downs. But I think that first weekend in Miami, that first trip to Miami during my rookie season opened up my eyes for me. Because after that I stopped drinking during the season. I just focused on the game. It made me more focused and more determined to go out there and try to perfect my craft.
Miami nightlife probably spelled the downfall of plenty of NBA players …
Marion: (laughs) Miami nightlife is the downfall of a lot of people – not just athletes.