Shawn Marion was the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, an All-Rookie selection, a two-time All-NBA selection, and a four-time All-Star. He was also an NBA champion who played an integral part in one of the biggest upsets in sporting history; the Dallas Mavericks defeating the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.
For a player that accomplished so much in his career, neither him nor the accomplishments of his teams are discussed enough.
However, speaking to ClutchPoints in a special episode of the I Got Next Podcast, the former NBA star discussed a bevy of topics highlighting his special career. One of which was the championship run that saw him and the Mavs not only take down LeBron James' Miami Heat but Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder and Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers as well.
Interestingly, while many would be quick to point out the aforementioned players that Dallas took down, Marion took the time to point out the depth of the Portland Trail Blazers. To him, that set the tone for the rest of the Mavs championship run.
“It is one of the hardest ones ever,” Marion says of the Dallas run to the 2011 NBA Finals. “Think about who we went through to beat.”
“The Lakers were the defending champions. OKC, we beat them, but they end up going to the Finals the next year. And of course, Bron goes to the Finals next year as well. But people don't realize that the deepest team in the postseason that year was the Portland Trail Blazers. They were deeper… they had a squad. But we beat them. That set the tone for us to do we need to do that run.”
The Blazers, led by LaMarcus Aldridge, lost 4-2 to the Mavericks in the first round.
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