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EDITORIAL: Farewell, Matrix

EDITORIAL BY INQUIRER STAFF

08-21-2015

PHILADELPHIA- He may have had his worst NLL in Philadelphia, but Shawn Marion’s retirement is a newsworthy event. Also known as the Matrix, Marion played for numerous teams during his NLL career, his best numbers coming with the Chicago Bulls in the mid-oughts.

But Marion retired a Sixer, which means the Philly news gets to cover his retirement.

Marion came over in the beginning of the season after signing a deal with the Sacramento Kings. It’s a deal the Sixers like to forget. You can look it up and spare GM VT the embarrassment of having to write it here. Let’s just say, the Sixers call the Kings weekly in an attempt to get Jordan Clarkson back.

Back when Marion played for the Bulls he was named an All-Star. He was voted Player of the Week three times. That never happened in Philly.

In his 48 games in a Sixers uniform (12 of those starts), the Matrix put up 3.5 points per game and grabbed 3 rebounds. That’s it. He even played nearly 20 minutes per game.

So what happened?

“The Matrix was out of gas,” a fan we stopped on South Street said. “He didn’t really want to play anymore. Did you see that playoff performance?”

What playoff performance? Marion appeared in 3 games, logging 7.7 minutes and averaging a +/- of -2.3.

“I mean come on,” the irate fan said. “This guy was supposed to know how to push the team to the next level. Maybe they should have played him at point guard or something.”

In all seriousness, Marion was a legitimate star in his prime. He shifted from a primary scoring threat to a double-double machine, locked down his opponents with his strong defense. GMs often commented on Marion’s scrappy play. Hell, he may have been the first three & D player in the league.

When Marion announced his retirement, his fan club met to do one collective basketball toss, mimicking the Matrix’s signature jump shot. It’s a sad day in NLL history as all the old favorites vanish into the retirement sunset of fishing, working at Starbucks and listening to Charles Barkley. We’ll miss you, Matrix!

Oh, and best of luck on your television show about you and the ladies in your life. Sounds very '90s.