What seem as a shock to most sections of his large fan base, Kevin Martins recently announced his retirement from professional basketball after 12 years of making an indelible mark on the world of Basketball . Still only 33 years old, the 6-foot-7 shooting guard could have prolonged his career but he instead decided to continue to make his impact on the beautiful game, this time around from the sidelines as he turns a new page in his life and career.
He recorded an appearance for five teams in the NBA from 2004/05 to 2015/2016 season, he was also named 26th overall by the Sacramento kings in the NBA 2004 draft. He averaged an impressive 17.4 points, 1.9 assists on 43.7 shooting from open play, 3.2 rebounds, and 38 percent from deep. His leadership off and on the court earned him an Oscar Robertson Triple-double award which also demonstrates his ability to cater for his family and the community and indeed the basketball world.
Most people will remember his time as a player by the number impeccable performances that he put forward in most of his games but his selfless work outside of the court in helping people and the less privileged speaks louder amongst some factions of his admirers. Having made well over $80 million dollars in earnings throughout his career, Kevin has never let his wealth and affluence get in the way of helping people who deserved his help; his agent was sometimes quoted to have told him ” Do not confuse money and wealth”. This could somehow have been his motivation towards helping others and also the creation of his Kevin Martin Youth Foundation with the sole aim of giving back to his local community in terms of youth development.
Kevin Martin is a known scorer and his impact on the game will be thoroughly missed. This may be the downside to his recent announcement, but his work as a community servant and philanthropist might just have taken a positive turn.