The Phoenix Suns will be inducting Shawn Marion into the team’s Ring of Honor after their game against the New York Knicks tonight.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Marion played in 680 career games for the Suns and averaged 18.4 points and 10 rebounds. He was a four-time NBA All–Star (2003, 2005–2007) with the Suns and made the All–NBA Third Team two times (2005, 2006).
Before the game, the Suns held a press conference for Marion to take a trip down memory lane on his time in Phoenix.
“Sending chills through my body”
Shawn Marion says that right now is perfect timing (because of Mat Ishbia) for him to be inducted into the #Suns Ring of Honor pic.twitter.com/nYRllLMCFz
— Brendan Mau (@brendan_mau) December 16, 2023
Shawn Marion will be inducted into the #Suns Ring of Honor tonight pic.twitter.com/Yoty2Sdaz1
— Brendan Mau (@brendan_mau) December 16, 2023
Top Quotes
Here are some of the top quotes from “The Matrix” from when he met with the media pregame (via Suns):
(On reflecting on his Suns career and how much he was hoping that the Suns franchise would recognize him in this way…)
“It is such a crazy feeling because I have contemplated so many different things. Actually, I get asked this question a lot of why it hadn’t happened sooner or all of this other stuff. This is the right timing for this. That is how I am looking at it right now. Forget about everybody saying that it should have been done a long time ago. It is done. It wouldn’t have been right then. It is right now and that is what it is about.”
(On his initial reaction to the news that he would be inducted into the Suns Ring of Honor and what made the timing so right…)
“Mat (Ishbia) did man. Mat took over this team and it has been guns blazing. One of the first things he did was reach out to me personally and told me what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it the right way. You all see it tenfold right now, moving forward. Look what he has done since he has been owner of this team. What do I need to say?”
(On how important it was to him to have a full-circle moment and end up in the Suns ring of honor…)
“Trust me, a lot of that stuff you are asking was a part of my thought process in writing my speech tonight. Reflecting on my journey here. Coming back from out there in Mesa. Certain things are meant to be, and certain things happen for a reason. When I sit here, and I reminisce on everything that has transpired on this journey, I feel like every time I talk about something, someone mentions something that was like wow, I didn’t even think about that part. From the room store commercials to whatever, there are so many things that I have done here and with the city. It is truly a moving thought process for me man and I still think about it to this day.”
(On if he had a single favorite moment from his career in Phoenix…)
“So, I get asked that question quite a bit. Do I have a favorite moment? No. I have favorite moments. Not one moment in particular. Of course, being drafted was a great moment and making the playoffs was a great moment. The game winner was a great moment. Getting a block to win a game was a great moment. Whatever it was, I think you just can’t sum up this journey in just one moment. It is impossible.”
(On Devin Booker wearing his shoes and what it means for guys like Devin Booker to honor everything that he has done…)
“Man, Book (Devin Booker) is something special. I am going to tell you. He is one of a few guys who definitely pay homage and respect to the guys who paved the way before him. That is one of the things that I have been doing with my role in the retirement association. I definitely try to give all of the guys who paved the way for me their flowers. I got a lot of the guys in the ring of honor who are coming tonight to celebrate me and some of my teammates as well. But I do not think they get their flowers enough. We only truly appreciate the guys and where the game is right now. Some of these guys that I am around have been making $50,000 a year sometimes or less than that. Now these guys are making $50 million dollars a year. It is a big up-scale for
those guys who are making those 50 and 25 thousand a year. The one that paved the way for us to do what we are doing right now and what I was able to do.”
#Suns Devin Booker pays tribute to Shawn Marion with his shoes in pregame warmup vs. #Knicks pic.twitter.com/aNLl4OdIKs
— Brendan Mau (@brendan_mau) December 16, 2023
The Phoenix #Suns past and present greats congratulate Shawn Marion on his Ring of Honor induction
pic.twitter.com/LhykWH2yK8— Burn City Suns Talk 🎙️ (@BurnCitySuns) December 16, 2023
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
