Former Dallas Mavericks star Shawn Marion is giving himself credit for the rise of positionless basketball and small ball in the NBA.

Both positionless basketball and small ball have risen over the last decade as an increasing amount of players have the versatility to play different roles on the court and as teams like the Golden State Warriors excel in small ball. Marion takes credit for this rise.

Marion initially discussed how he evolved into a positionless role during his college career at UNLV saying, “I started my freshman year in junior college, I was the starting point guard. I went from point guard, but I had to score more. If I was scoring, that means I wasn’t facilitating. I had to go to small forward … With that being said, when I went to small forward, I just go out there and focus on scoring. Get the ball. Do what I do. Do my thing. Play defense. Rebound. Steals. All that other stuff,” per Sam Gordon of the Las Vegas Review Journal.

The four-time All-Star then reflected on his effect on the NBA saying, “I can honestly say I changed the game. I was a big part of changing the game, what we’re watching right now. Small ball. Positionless basketball. It was challenging, of course. I wasn’t on board with it at first. I’m 6-foot-7, 230 pounds. You’ve got me guarding 7-footers. That wasn’t an easy adjustment. But I did it. We did it. It is what it is now. It’s what everybody’s doing now.”

Shawn Marion played for five different teams during his 16-year NBA career. Marion played one season at UNLV before being drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, eventually spending nine seasons in Arizona. He later played five seasons for the Mavs, where he helped the team win the NBA Finals in 2011.