Shawn Marion: ‘I can honestly say I changed the game’

Present in Las Vegas on the occasion of the summer meeting of NBA retirees, Shawn Marion said he was proud of his career, “The Matrix” having participated in the evolution of the game during his years with the Suns.

“I can honestly say that I changed the game” he explains thus. “I’ve been a big part of changing the game, which is what we’re seeing right now. The “small ball”. Positionless basketball. »

What he finds everywhere today.

“It was a challenge, of course. At the beginning, I was not very hot. I am 2m01 tall, I weigh 104 kg. I had to defend against 2m13 players. It was not easy. But I did. We did it. And that’s how it is today. Everyone does that now. »

A true Swiss army knife, Shawn Marion offered many solutions to Mike D’Antoni, through his ability to defend in all positions, through his assists. The fruit of his evolution even before his arrival in the NBA.

“It came naturally, because when you are placed in different positions, you adapt. My freshman year in college, I was the starting point guard. I was a playmaker, but I had to score more. If I scored, it meant I wasn’t creating play. So I had to move to winger. It went well, but I couldn’t be a playmaker because I wanted to score more,” he recalls.