Former NBA player Kenyon Martin has never been afraid to speak his mind or back down from a fight. Earlier this week he was on the "In the Zone" podcast with Chris Broussard describing some of the fights he witnessed and also took part in while still playing in the league. According to Martin, most fights between NBA players happen during practice when there are no cameras rolling.
Fights Martin witnessed during practice
Kenyon started off the interview talking about a fight that happened at practice during his rookie year between teammates Kendall Gill and Jim Mcllvaine.
He said that Gill choked out Mcllvaine because Mcllvaine wouldn't stop throwing elbows. Gill apparently had enough and took Mcllvaine to the ground screaming "I'll kill you!" Martin also described another incident that happened in practice between Nene and Steve Blake. "Nene grabbed Steve Blake by his throat one day at practice. … Grabbed this man by his throat and picked him up. Nene’s got them big ol’ hands, man. Picked that man up." He went on to say that Steve Blake was punching Nene the whole time while Nene had him held up in the air. Anyone that knows basketball knows that Nene is a really large human being and not one that many people would dare mess with, unless you're Kenyon Martin that is.
Nene Vs Kenyon
In his first year in Denver, Kenyon Martin seems to have had his own run in with Nene during practice and it was epic. Martin said that Nene was avoiding him during open run games and would only play when Martin wasn't playing. One day Martin says he showed up to the gym late and Nene was playing so he decided to play also.
He was guarding Nene and things got real physical and chippy. Martin said he told Nene to "chill out" or else he was going to punch him. Of course Nene didn't chill and Kenyon stayed true to his word." It was a one-hitter-quitter. … They thought I broke his orbital bone.. He grabbed his eye, he was bleeding, his eyeball was fluttering like it was moving." This just proves that Kenyon is easily one of the toughest guys to ever play in the NBA or perhaps he just has a screw loose. Either way I wouldn't test him, just ask Nene.
