At 6 feet 7 inches , 215 pounds, Shawn Marion is a versatile
player who is capable of playing both small forward
and power forward positions. He has established himself
as one of the game's premier talents. Nicknamed "The
Matrix," by TNT analyst and former NBA player
Kenny Smith, Marion is a dazzling finisher on the fastbreak.
His athleticism and jumping ability has aided in establishing
On offense, Marion is a multidimensional threat, as a
finisher, scorer and shooter, creating mismatch problems
for his defenders. He is a better defender than he is
given credit for - often asked to guard positions 1 thru
5, successfully.
In only his fourth season in the NBA in 2002-03, the
multi-talented forward made the first of many All-Star
appearances and was the only player ranked in the top
20 in points (and top 10 in rebounds and steals. Known
for his exceptional athleticism, the former Runnin' Rebel
played just one year of Division I basketball before
declaring himself eligible for the 1999 NBA Draft after
his stellar junior year at UNLV. He was selected by the
Suns with the ninth pick. Often compared to a young Scottie
Pippen because of his long arms and incredible jumping
ability, Shawn paid immediate dividends for the Suns
by making the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 1999-2000.
The 4-time All-Star forward played on Team USA at the
2002 World Championships and won a gold medal with Team
USA at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia
when he paced the squad with 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Shawn also knows the importance of "paying it forward".
Upon signing a new contract extension with the Suns in
the summer of 2002, he pledged $1 million United Way,
Valley of the Sun. Donations go towards cancer research,
rehabilitation for victims of domestic violence, early
childhood education and child care providers.
In his spare time Shawn likes to travel, watch movies,
play poker and listen to music of all genres. He's a
big fan of cartoons and has a large DVD collection that
includes favorites "Scooby Doo" and "ThunderCats".
Shawn recently added classic car collecting to his growing
list of hobbies.
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