Former Phoenix Suns great and current Cleveland Cavalier Shawn Marion has decided to retire after this season. His goal coming into the league was to play 15 seasons and he’s done since his start in 1999. The 36-year old has an 8-month old son and he says that he’s become real attached to the little guy.
“I wanted to go out on my terms. The biggest thing is having a son. I got attached to him. Seeing him periodically is hard. Watching him grow up on pictures and videos is hard.”
For his career, Marion averaged 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game on 48.4% shooting overall and 33.2% shooting from beyond the arc. Of course, his best seasons came as a Sun where he was drafted ninth overall in that 1999 draft. Marion averaged 18.4 points and 10.0 rebounds during his time with the Suns and is a fixture among the franchise’s career leaders. Only Alvan Adams recorded more rebounds, steals or minutes played with the Suns than did Marion. He also ranks third in blocked shots (894), third in field goals made (4,879), fourth in points (12,134), and fourth in 3-pointers made (652).
Marion is at career lows in pretty much every category this year after deciding to stay in the league and sign with the Cavaliers this past offseason. If his averages continue on their current path, this would be the first year he averaged under 10 points a game (he averaged 10.2 in his rookie year) and less than six boards a game.
