Q&A: UNLV great Marion reflects on Rebels tenure, Las Vegas

Amid the idle time caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Shawn Marion watched the 29 games he played for UNLV during the 1998-99 season — and asked himself the same question.

Game after game after game.

“Why didn’t I get the ball more?” he said with a laugh Sunday inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

A fair query considering he scored 18.9 points per game for the Rebels on 52.9 percent shooting in his lone year on their campus.

Marion, 45, is back in Las Vegas this week for the National Basketball Retired Players Association’s annual Summer Getaway, returning to the city in which he starred before his 16-year NBA career. A four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA honoree who averaged 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks, Marion is one of the greatest players in the history of the Rebels, whom he discussed — among other things — with the Review-Journal.

He’s still active in basketball, working as a global ambassador for the NBA and a diversity inclusion ambassador for the Dallas Mavericks, with whom he won the 2010-11 NBA championship.

He also has an ownership stake in Major League Pickleball’s D.C. Pickleball Team, Liga MX’s Club Necaxa and the New Zealand National Basketball League’s New Zealand Breakers.

Questions and answers were edited for length and clarity.

RJ: Welcome back to Las Vegas. Please remind me, why did you choose to play at UNLV?

Marion: I wanted to go somewhere warm. It’s that simple. My first option was to go to North Carolina, but (coach) Dean Smith retired. USC was recruiting me. (Coach Bill) Bayno was here in Vegas. Those were the only two places that were warm that gave me an opportunity. It was a no-brainer.

RJ: How formative was that year for you here with the Rebels?

Marion: They knew I was coming in to be a one-and-done. It was kind of crazy the way things unraveled. We had a great staff here. Great cool guys. I’m still in contact with some of those guys as well. A majority of them actually. It was just meant to be.

RJ: How did you approach your development when you were here?

Marion: I was always eyes wide open. I took in whatever the coaches wanted me to do, and I excelled. I was disappointed that we didn’t get a chance to go play in the tournament here, which we should’ve.

RJ: What jumped out when you were watching those game tapes?

Marion: A lot of times you don’t listen to the commentators. I don’t really buy into the commentators. But the commentators were like, “Yo, why isn’t Shawn getting the ball?” Of course, certain things you can’t say when you’ve got your own broadcast network and stuff. They’d throw certain things out there. But they aren’t going to blame certain things. I saw it. Let’s be honest. I saw it. But it’s OK.

RJ: How did you get the most out of your NBA career?

Marion: I was hungry. I always pride myself on being one of the best. I actually think I was. I get that a lot. I went out there and played with my heart and soul for the team. I wanted to win.

RJ: You were ahead of your time with your versatility as a 6-foot-7-inch hybrid forward who could guard post players. How did that develop?

Marion: It just naturally came, and as you’re put in different positions, you adjust. 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. It worked out fine, but I couldn’t be the point because I wanted to score more. 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.

RJ: What did winning an NBA title mean to you?

Marion: It’s the ultimate goal when you lace your shoes up, every year, every season at every season, you want to be the man, you want to win, you want to be the last team standing.

RJ: What are you most proud of in your career?

Marion: 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.

RJ: Think Vegas is ready to be an NBA city?

Marion: This would probably be great. It’s a short trip from L.A., Phoenix. They’ve got everything here in Vegas. With that being said, I would like to see a team probably go back to Seattle first. They’ve got to bring the SuperSonics back. Why wouldn’t they? Bring the same colors back. They come back out with the retro uniforms? That would be so dope.

RJ: Still follow along with UNLV?

Marion: Yeah. I follow them. I follow them on social media and everything. I’ve been talking to a couple people that’s on the staff. Hopefully they’re going to throw my jersey in the rafters, too.

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.