Kenyon Martin Reveals The Hidden Traps Of Being In The NBA

Kenyon Martin spoke on Dwight Howard's podcast recently about life in the NBA. He noted that he didn't struggle to adapt to the pressures of the NBA nearly as much as other players because of his college experience. The former All-Star noted that players in the NBA warned him that his career would go by very soon and that he should savor every moment.

Martin also gave props to his inner circle and his family for being able to survive the difficult experience of the NBA media cycle and spoke about how being around other teammates can negatively impact relationships.

"I had real vets on my team in my rookie year. They were telling me, 'Hey, young fella. Enjoy it. It's going to be over before you know it.' They used to tell me that. Fifteen years flew by just like that. Luckily, for me, I was a little more mature than a lot of the kids that are coming in now and came in after me."

"I was the last senior who was drafted number one overall. I was still trying to find myself and have fun, but I had a little more calmness to me off the floor, so to speak... That college experience helped me be somewhat grounded. Even with that, in year three, four, or five, now I'm an All-Star... I kept the circle small."

"You make some bad decisions. Luckily, we didn't have social media. It's tough at any juncture of it."

"If someone comes into this with a situation as far as a wife or girlfriend, and for them to stick it out throughout the duration of that player's career, that's huge... For both of them, to make it through it... Even if it's not you doing anything, it's just rumors, guys in the locker room can ruin your situation... 

Kenyon Martin played in the NBA from 2000 to 2015, with a brief stint in China in 2011. Martin was drafted first overall in the 2000 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets. In his first four seasons with the franchise, he made the All-Rookie first team and earned an All-Star nomination.

Martin went on to get traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2004, where he spent seven years of his career. He formed a formidable partnership with Carmelo Anthony, and the pair helped lead the Denver Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in 2009, their best finish in franchise history until they would win the 2023 NBA championship.

However, in 2011, Martin signed a one-year deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers due to the NBA lockout. By the time he was ready to make his return to the NBA, a restriction with FIBA caused him to stay away. He signed a contract with the L.A. Clippers and played 42 games with them.

A year later, Martin would return to the East Coast, this time signing for the New York Knicks in 2012. He was reunited with Carmelo Anthony there and played for the better part of two seasons. In 2015, Martin signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, finishing his NBA career with them.

His legacy in the NBA lives on through his son, Kenyon Martin Jr., who has been in the NBA for the last five years and is now playing for the Utah Jazz.