Former Phoenix Suns forward Shawn Marion recently appeared on the Club 520 podcast hosted by fellow former NBA player Jeff Teague. In the episode, The Matrix shared stories about his NBA playing days – from winning a championship with Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks to teaming up with LeBron James, among others.
Toward the end of the podcast, Shawn Marion stirred up some debate when he said he was a better defender than Golden State Warriors big Draymond Green, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest defenders of this generation.
“Draymond, I think I love his tenacity, energy, and heart, but I still think I was a way better defender than he was. The reason I say that is because when I had to guard point guards or when I actually guard you, I’ll guard you for the whole game,” said Marion.
“I locked in with you guys for the whole game. Most guys ain’t doing that, so it’s easy and way simpler for guys just to do with every possession and switch everybody, but I can guard somebody for a quarter,” he added. “Guard that guy for the whole game, though? Most guys are not doing that. I’m the only person ever in NBA history to do that. I’m the only person.”
Shawn Marion was a beast back in the day for the Phoenix Suns
Shawn Marion can make a case for being one of the league’s greatest defenders because of his versatility, as he has proven capable of guarding multiple positions, especially back in his heyday with the “7 Seconds or Less” Phoenix Suns.
On top of regularly guarding the likes of Kevin Garnett, LeBron James , Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Rasheed Wallace, and Shaquille O’Neal, among others, Marion was still able to do his bit on the offensive end for Phoenix, averaging 18.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game in his nine NBA seasons there.
With he, Steve Nash, and Amar’e Stoudemire leading the way, the Phoenix Suns have made deep runs into the NBA playoffs, although they don’t have a championship ring to show for it.
Shawn Marion, whose No. 31 jersey is retired by the Phoenix Suns, is second in rebounds (6,616), steals (1,245), and third in blocks (894) in franchise history. He also earned four NBA All-Star appearances and two All-NBA Third Team nominations during his time with the team.
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