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Shawn Marion Retiring: NBA Star Explains Why He ‘s Ending Career

By Jonathan Franks
Published on: 10:02 PST, Jan 22, 2015

NBA player Shawn Marion has confirmed that the current season will be his last.

After spending 16 years in the NBA, Marion is officially going to retire once the Cleveland Cavaliers have finished their 2014-2015 season.

When Marion was first drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1999, he reportedly made the goal of playing 15 seasons. Even though he is well into his 30s, Marion strongly believes that he could play for at least another three seasons. However, he admits that the need to be with his 8-month-old child played a major role in his decision to retire.

The 36-year-old forward confirmed the news about his retirement in a statement made to the Arizona Republic, which was published on Wednesday.

“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.”

Throughout his career, Shawn Marion averaged 15.4 points, 8.8. rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.9 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Over the years, Marion has also become known for being able to effectively guard any position on defense.

Nearly nine seasons of Shawn’s career were spent in Phoenix after being drafted from UNLV as the No. 9 pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.

Even though he bounced from Phoenix to Miami and Toronto for relatively short periods of time, Marion later spent five seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. Shawn played a key role in helping the Mavericks to win the championship title back in 2011.

Shawn Marion was a four-time All-Star and was added to the All-NBA 3rd Team twice.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Marion signed a one-year contract in the off-season to take another shot at getting a championship alongside LeBron James as one of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

According to a statement made by Cavs coach David Blatt, Marion’s record speaks for itself and should seriously be considered for the Hall of Fame.

“He’s a 16-year veteran. When Shawn Marion decides to retire, that will not be a negative in any way. He’s a great professional. He’s played at a high level for 16 years. He’s a great guy. Whenever that day comes, he’ll have to be in the discussion for the Hall of Fame.”

Shawn Marion admits that he is not in control when it comes to determining whether or not he is inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, he seems to agree with his current head coach when it comes to his past track record.

“I’m not in control of that but I think my numbers speak for themselves. What I’ve done on this court in the last 16 years at my position, I don’t think nobody has ever done it the way I’ve done it.”

What do you think? Should Shawn Marion become a future NBA Hall of Famer?

[Image Credit: ESPN]

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