Darrick Martin
3716979
225109707
2008-07-11T22:40:08Z
X96lee15
1536919
T. J. Ford spacing; clean up using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]]
{{refimprove|date=January 2008}}
{{Infobox NBA Player
| name = Darrick Martin
| nickname =D-Mart
| image = Dmart.png
| caption = Martin with a fan
| league = [[NBA]]
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lb = 170
| position = [[Point guard]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|3|6}}
| birth_place = [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]], [[Colorado]]
| college = [[UCLA]]
| nationality = [[United States|American]]
| draft = Undrafted
| draft_team =
| draft_year =
| career_start = 1994
| career_end =
| former_teams = [[Minnesota Timberwolves]] (1994-95), (2003-04)<br>[[Vancouver Grizzlies]] (1995-96)<br>[[Los Angeles Clippers]] (1996-99), (2004-05)<br>[[Sacramento Kings]] (1999-01)<br>[[Dallas Mavericks]] (2001-02)<br>[[Toronto Raptors]] (2005-08)
| awards =
}}
'''Darrick David Martin''' (born [[March 6]], [[1971]] in [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]], [[Colorado]], [[United States]]) is an [[United States|American]] professional [[basketball]] player, who most recently played for the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s [[Toronto Raptors]]. Martin has become known as a solid veteran who provided quality minutes as a reserve, maintaining a career free throw percentage of 85%. In each of two December 1996 games, he sank 15 of 15 foul shots, posting a career-high 38 points in the latter.
Martin's more than decade long professional career has bounced between the [[Continental Basketball Association]] (CBA), where he won the 2003 CBA Playoffs MVP, and the NBA and in 2003 he even played for the [[Harlem Globetrotters]].
==High school honors and collegiate history==
As a senior at [[St. Anthony High School (California)|St. Anthony High School]], Martin was a [[Parade (magazine)|Parade]] First-Team All-American and named to the [[McDonald's All-American Team|McDonald's High School All-American]] team.
Martin received a full scholarship from [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] and played on a Bruins squad with future NBA players [[Don MacLean (basketball)|Don MacLean]], [[Tracy Murray]] and [[Mitchell Butler]]. As a quick point guard, he completed his college career at UCLA in 1992 ranked first in school history in both assists (636) and steals (179). His career assists total placed him fourth on the [[Pacific Ten Conference]]'s all-time list. Darrick averaged 9.3 points and 4.9 assists in his four years at UCLA. As a junior, he averaged a career-high 11.6 points and 6.8 assists, and his assists average was the best in the [[Pacific Ten Conference|Pac-10]] and the 16th highest in the country. His single-season high of 217 assists was second all-time at UCLA to [[Pooh Richardson|Jerome "Pooh" Richardson]]'s 236.
==Pre-NBA career==
The 5'11" [[point guard]] was not drafted by an NBA franchise and instead played for the [[Continental Basketball Association|CBA]]'s [[Sioux Falls Skyforce]], (where he was the league's 10th leading scorer with 21 points per game) prior to signing two consecutive 10-day contracts with the NBA's [[Minnesota Timberwolves]] in February 1995. He returned to the Timberwolves for the [[2003-04 NBA season]] as a backup for [[Sam Cassell]] after [[Troy Hudson]] was injured.
==Vancouver Grizzlies==
At the beginning of the [[1995-96 NBA season]] he signed with the [[Memphis Grizzlies|Vancouver Grizzlies]] as a [[free agent]], but the Grizzlies traded him back to the Timberwolves two months later, in exchange for a second-round draft pick. His scoring average in these first two seasons remained at about seven points per game.
==Los Angeles Clippers==
Martin signed with the [[Los Angeles Clippers]] in 1996 and remained with them for three seasons, averaging ten points per game in (and playing all 82 games of) the first two of them.
He returned to the Clippers in the [[2004-05 NBA season|2004-05 season]] and averaged 3.8 PPG.
==Sacramento Kings==
Martin's contract expired once again after the [[lockout (industry)|lockout]]-shortened [[1998-99 NBA season|1999 season]], and he signed with [[Sacramento Kings]] where he would spend the next two years. Late in the Kings' 130-109 win over the [[Dallas Mavericks]] on [[March 6]], [[2000]], Martin came off the bench to score 11 points in only two minutes. He was given the nickname "The Domino" by his teammates.
==Toronto Raptors==
Martin signed with the [[Toronto Raptors]] for the [[2005-06 NBA season|2005-06 season]]. In his first year with the club he posted 2.6 ppg and 1.4 apg in 8.5 mpg of play. Martin's primary role with the Raptors, according to head coach [[Sam Mitchell (basketball)|Sam Mitchell]], is to provide guidance to the younger players on the team such as point guards [[T. J. Ford]] and [[José Calderón (basketball)|José Calderón]]. He is currently Toronto's third-string point guard, and has signed on for another year for the [[2007-08 NBA season]].
Darrick's most notable moment in a Raptors uniform was a 3-pointer against the Dallas Mavericks on November 29, 2006. With over a second remaining in regulation, and the Raptors trailing by 22 points, Martin hoisted up a 3-point shot uncontested and successfully sunk the shot. With the Raptors NBA record consecutive game streak with a 3-pointer on the verge of ending, Martin's shot enabled the Raptors to extend the streak, which to this day has spanned over 700 consecutive games over a 9 year span. After two and a half seasons with Toronto, Martin was waived on March 27 2008, to open up a spot on the roster for [[Linton Johnson]]. Though waived by the Raptors, Martin stayed with the team as an informal assistant coach/consultant.
==External links==
*[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/darrick_martin/index.html Darrick Martin at NBA.com]
*[http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/martida01.html Darrick Martin at Basketball-Reference.com]
*[http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=2998 Darrick Martin at ESPN.com]
*[http://www.longbeachsaints.org/alumni/wheretheyare/martin/index.htm St. Anthony High School alumni page]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Darrick}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African American sportspeople]]
[[Category:American basketball players]]
[[Category:Point guards]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Dallas Mavericks players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Clippers players]]
[[Category:Minnesota Timberwolves players]]
[[Category:National Basketball Association players under six feet]]
[[Category:Sacramento Kings players]]
[[Category:Toronto Raptors players]]
[[Category:Vancouver Grizzlies players]]
[[Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans]]
[[Category:Harlem Globetrotters players]]
[[Category:Sioux Falls Skyforce players]]
[[es:Darrick Martin]]
[[it:Darrick Martin]]