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Shawn Marion: “I think I can play in every era personally, but definitely it would be a lot more tailored to me because of how fast it is and me being able to go 1 through 5. I was able to do it at a time with real power forwards and real centers. Not now, because all the guys don’t post up. Everything is now face guard, which catered to me easily. So I probably would have way more steals now, way more blocks, and make way more rebounds.”
Hayden Cilley: Shawn Marion touched on what being around the Suns organization means to him and being honored. "I think it's history. To have history around at any given moment is truly special. I think I pay homage to all the guys who paved the way for me. I've seen all the legends last night... I just truly, truly appreciate it of them and of the things that they sacrificed for me to be able to stand here and talk to you guys right now. Of course, I played my part in it, but they paved the way for me, and I'm truly appreciative."
Shawn Marion, the four-time All-Star who played with James in Cleveland in 2014-15, said the 76ers could have some chemistry concerns as they try to mesh the newcomers with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. “There are a lot of guys over there and ain’t but one ball,” Marion said in an exclusive interview. “They don’t really call plays anymore so that’s the uniqueness of the game now, but a lot of guys don’t play well without the ball. Every star doesn’t play well together. We see it time and time again. We’re going to see how it rolls out. I’m optimistic, but I want to see what happens.”
Marion said Antetokounmpo will do the vast majority of his work near the basket, while his own game was more perimeter-oriented. “He’s a special guy,” Marion said. “A former two-time MVP, NBA champion. Our games are just totally different from each other. He’s a power, inside guy all day. He doesn’t shoot outside at all. He’s just a power guy. I’m finesse. I’m going to shoot the 3 ball and everything.”
Shawn Marion: "I know I'm on the owner's side now too though. So you don't make money until you sell the team. Most of the money that's recycled every season is goes back to run the team. And that's what I say. If you can afford to fund a contender and you've got that kind of team, sell. Your agent was the late great Dan Fagan. Yes he was. Now, the Dan Fagan I've talked about on this podcast, fascinating guy, tragically died in a car accident. What do you imagine if when you were in your prime, and you were on a max contract? Yeah, all it takes is one team. So they weren't up for when I was up though. I get what you're saying, but I understand. So I I didn't realize I thought it was just two years left on his deal. I know he's a free agent. Yeah, so okay. It's just a year plus a player option."
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Shawn Marion: "One of the biggest ones I said, 10,000 career rebounds. That one was crazy and I didn't think about it for a small forward. For a guy considered a small forward, to get 10,000 rebounds is really not realistic. That was one that was like, wow, I was like, man, 10,000 rebounds, really?"
Who were some of the influential factors in your life to tell you to be yourself? You were an untraditional coach. Mike D'Antoni: Well, you know, besides being from a family that does that, and my brother who was coaching with me that had a similar philosophy, the main two guys were Jerry Colangelo and Bryan Colangelo. They put the team together, and then we’re talking about how to play and whatever, and I’m saying, you know, my gut says we should do this, but the traditional way is that. And they say, “go with your gut, do what you think’s best”. And so that’s when I decided to move Amar’e Stoudemire to the five and Shawn Marion to the four. It comes from years and years of playing, years and years of coaching, and past experiences from when I was a player, and what would feel good, and then as a coach and how it went with my team at Olympia Milano when I really started that.
Was there a moment where it felt everything clicked? Amar'e Stoudemire: In training camp, when we got Steve Nash. When Steve came back to Phoenix and we started training camp, we all were in top shape, ready to go. And from training camp, we saw something special. We saw the style of play and the speed we were playing with. I was at my athleticism peak, and we had Shawn Marion, who was a brilliant floor runner and Swiss Army knife type of player, and Nash was the pass first guy who could get the ball to whoever was hot. So we took that mentality and ran with it. And I think I was surprised by how good we were.
ESPN: You were 21-40 in your first season as interim head coach in Phoenix. Second year, 62-20. Was it as simple as adding Steve Nash? Mike D'Antoni: I think that was the missing piece. We were young the year before. And also, I took over halfway through the year ... didn't really have a lot of time. [But] we were missing a point guard. And so when you plug into maybe the best point guard --- not maybe, but the best point guard in the league -- and you got Amar'e [Stoudemire] and you got Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson, and we added Quentin Richardson later, it was just a combination of those guys and Steve together that made that big jump. It surprised us. We didn't think we'd do all that. We were just trying to make the playoffs.
Jacobsen found Amare Stoudemire engaging. He asked if he had leaned toward a particular college before entering the draft. Stoudemire told him he probably would’ve played for John Calipari at Memphis. Still, Jacobsen couldn’t help but wonder how this would translate. Is this guy going to be in for a rude awakening? Once practice started, Jacobsen realized he need not worry. “It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes, man,” he said. “And we have Shawn Marion, whose nickname is The Matrix. One of the freakier athletes that you will find in the NBA at the time. And Amar’e Stoudemire is freakier than even The Matrix. He’s more powerful. He’s longer. And he finishes around the rim stronger than even Shawn Marion, who’s an NBA All-Star. Within one practice, I’m like, ‘Whoa. The physical part is not going to be this person’s issue.'”
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Rick Carlisle: ‘In 2011, it was either now or never. The team was aging. The veterans were still at in a part of their prime. Jason Terry was still great, Dirk was great, Jason Kidd was 37 and he was still playing at a very high level. He almost won the MVP a few years earlier with the Nets. I mean, the Nets were an autumn feeder and the Jason Kidd got traded to New Jersey and they had them in the finals twice, you know, so that he still could have that kind of impact. We traded for Tyson Chandler who gave us a defensive guy similar to yourself, very energetic, very vocal, very positive, very upbeat, totally only into winning, and Shawn Marion was a very underrated player. You can make a case that Shawn Marion could be in a conversation for Hall of Fame on a many multiple year, all-star type thing, championship player, great two-way player. He had an unconventional game, but he was an original in his purest form. It was clear to us heading into that final series that we had to have a very simple plan and a big part of it was going to have to be persistence.’
Charlie Villanueva: Shawn Marion calls me. We have a good debate. He's actually a fan of the show. He sees the show. He was just wanted to give me his opinion on some of the topics that we discuss. And that being one about Kevin Durant versus Carmelo Anthony. And he gave me his two cents on who he would pick and then he mentioned something to me. Got me thinking. He said just throw my name in the mix.
Charlie Villanueva: There's only five players in NBA histories with 17,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, and a thousand blocks: Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and Shawn Marion. All those guys are Hall of Famers, except Shawn Marion.
Jorge Sierra: Rudy Gobert passed Shawn Marion in rebounds last night for No. 43 in NBA history. Also could become the first player to win DPOY five times in just a few months.