Kenyon Martin

Kenyon Lee Martin (born December 30, 1977) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA, and the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of China. The 6'9" power forward played college basketball for Cincinnati before being drafted with the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets.

Early years

Martin was born in Saginaw, Michigan on December 30, 1977 to Lydia Moore, a single mother of two. He has a sister, Tamara, who is 3 1/2 years older. Due to the recession and the economy in Michigan at the time, Ms. Moore moved with her young children south to the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, where she worked two jobs. Later, Kenyon was often watched by his sister while their mother worked.

He stuttered as a child, and attended three high schools in four years, but he sought refuge in sports, playing basketball, baseball, and football. In high school, many major universities showed interest in his basketball prowess, but the University of Cincinnati and assistant coach John Loyer recruited him hardest after seeing him play AAU ball after his junior year. He graduated from Bryan Adams High School in Dallas in 1996 (he was named to the school's hall of fame in 2009).

College career

He went to the University of Cincinnati and played for the Cincinnati Bearcats under the direction of head coach Bob Huggins. He was homesick early in his freshman year and actually took a bus back to Dallas. But his mother as well as his older sister, who by then was working two jobs and attending college, steered him to return to school.

By the time he was a junior, he led Cincinnati to a 27-6 record and was named second-team All-Conference USA and, in the summer following, he led the U.S. team to the gold medal in the World University Games, leading the team in scoring and rebounding.

As a senior in 1999-2000, he averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game during a season in which the Bearcats were ranked #1 for 12 weeks. That season, he recorded his second triple double with 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocks vs. Memphis (in 1997, he recorded 24/23/10 vs. DePaul). Martin was the consensus National Player of the Year, earning numerous awards from various organizations, and the team was ranked #1 in the nation at the conclusion of the regular season. However, Martin suffered a broken leg three minutes into the Bearcats' first game of the Conference USATournament, keeping him out of the NCAA Tournament that year. The team finished with a record of 29-4.

He remains the Bearcats' all-time leader in career blocked shots (292) and field goal percentage (.586). Cincinnati retired his #4 jersey on April 25, 2000. Later that year, Martin was selected first overall in the 2000 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. Martin is currently the last American-born college senior to have been the top overall pick.