Kenyon Martin

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Martin's time with the Nets began on October 31, 2000, in an 86–82 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers where he recorded 10 points and seven rebounds. As a rookie, he averaged 12 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks, earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team while finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Mike Miller. His second season proved pivotal; alongside Jason Kidd, Kerry Kittles, Keith Van Horn, and Richard Jefferson, he helped lift the Nets from last place in the Atlantic Division to an Eastern Conference title. In that 2002 Finals run against the Los Angeles Lakers, Martin was a key contributor before the team suffered a sweep. The following year, despite losing in six games to the San Antonio Spurs, his consistency remained high. A defining moment occurred on January 29, 2003, when he recorded a career-best 21 rebounds alongside 19 points and eight assists in an 86–78 victory over the Washington Wizards.

In Their Own Story

The turning point for Martin's individual accolades arrived during the 2003–04 season. He averaged 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks, earning his first and only NBA All-Star selection as a backup forward for the Eastern Conference. In the 2004 All-Star Game itself, he scored 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out three assists. However, tension also marked this era; Martin once mocked teammate Alonzo Mourning's life-threatening kidney disease during morning shootarounds, a mistake Martin later admitted to and apologized for on the Scoop B Radio Podcast. He acknowledged that while he wasn't a shootaround guy, Mourning felt he should have been working as hard as the veterans. This incident led to Martin participating in Mourning's annual charity basketball game as an act of reconciliation before his trade.

Reader's Guide

For fans tracking Kenyon Martin's trajectory from New Jersey, the key dates and numbers define his legacy. He was drafted in 2000 by the Nets immediately after a stellar senior year at Cincinnati where he was named consensus National Player of the Year despite suffering a broken leg three minutes into the Conference USA Tournament. On the court with Brooklyn (New Jersey), look for his debut on October 31, 2000, and his peak performance on January 29, 2003. His departure came following the 2003–04 season via a sign-and-trade deal to the Denver Nuggets for three future first-round draft picks, signing a seven-year, $92.5 million contract. As of 2026, he remains the last American-born college senior selected as the top overall pick in the NBA draft.

Did You Know?

• Martin was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but raised in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas by a single mother who worked two jobs.
• During his senior year at Cincinnati, he suffered a broken leg just three minutes into the Conference USA Tournament, missing the NCAA Tournament despite the team being ranked No. 1 for 12 weeks.
• He remains the all-time leader in career blocked shots (292) and field goal percentage (.586) for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.
• On January 29, 2003, while with the Nets, Martin recorded a career-best 21 rebounds along with 19 points and eight assists against the Washington Wizards.
• Martin is the last American-born college senior to be selected as the number one overall pick in an NBA draft.