NPS: KJ Martin skews college path, eyes professional ventures
NEW HAVEN, CT. – While LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton slammed the news waves earlier this year by declining the college path for professional opportunities within the National Basketball League, KJ Martin was about to do the same. Originally committed to Vanderbilt, Martin came to the realization that college wasn’t for him and instead, was going to try his hand overseas. He walked back on his decision and enrolled at IMG Academy this fall, taking a prep season to prepare for the professional realm.
The son of former NBA star Kenyon Martin, KJ is one of the more explosive prospects that the nation has to provide. While he is eligible to play college ball next year, the plan remains for Martin to earn a paycheck, either in the league, or overseas a year from now.
Following a dominant showing on Saturday, finishing with 22 points and eight rebounds, we caught up with Martin for a complete Q&A, discussing his mindset going into his final year of prep basketball, how he sees the next several months playing out, and why college isn’t in his plans.
Corey Evans (CE): What made you take the route that you did to IMG? Going from committing to Vanderbilt, choosing the professional path, and then back to prep ball?
KJ Martin (KJ): It was just the professional thing. I was kind of late on it so it didn’t really work out in my favor. I wanted to take another route so that I could focus on my game and IMG was the choice. I know that if I went to college, I could have developed but not had all of the time to work out. Coming to IMG, I could focus on the weight room and basketball and I think coming here could get me to the next level, which was the best choice since I can get stronger and work on my game every day.
CE: Professionally, what countries were you looking at?
KJ: It was mainly Australia. That was the main one.
CE: What was the talk like with the Vanderbilt coaching staff?
KJ: Yeah, it was pretty clean. It was the best situation out of all of my schools and with (Jerry) Stackhouse, he coached in the NBA and played in the NBA, and his assistant, Coach (David) Grace, he was at UCLA and had been talking to me since he was there, so just those two people alone were important.
CE: Where are you right now with next year?
KJ: I am planning on going into the draft. That is my focus right now. I have been watching NBA games a lot and paying attention to a lot of the details. I was with Rico Hines, playing with NBA guys all summer long, so they have been in my corner, telling me all that I need to know to make it to the next level.
CE: Say that you don’t get the feedback that you are looking to hear in the spring, is college still going to be an option for you?
KJ: I think the overseas thing would work better. It was just that this past year, it was kind of late, so it wasn’t going to be the right situation. Next year, they are saying that if I want to go, I could do so.
CE: So, for you, it is NBA, NBL and then, last resort, college?
KJ: Yeah. College really isn’t even on my list.
CE: Are there any schools even talking to you right now?
KJ: No, not really. I think most schools know about what my decision is going to be.
CE: Why is the professional path so important to you?
KJ: I just feel like it is different for everybody. Some people need to go to college and experience that, but personally, for me, I would rather take that next step. I think, coming here, it will definitely help me a lot.
CE: Do you want to start a trend some with this?
KJ: Yeah, RJ (Hampton) and LaMelo (Ball), they did the same kind of thing and I understand like what RJ said, that it is a different thing to do. People have different routes. I think, in a couple of years, the NBA will make a change and let people go right to it but I know that some people want to go and develop and some others want to go to school so it is just a change to allowing people to have different opportunities.
CE: What is dad saying to you through this all? He seems supportive of you seeing that he is in attendance for a lot of your school and travel games?
KJ: He is just in my corner. He has been at the next level so he just tells me what to work on and that it is a process every day, even on the days that you don’t feel like working out. You got to get into the gym and work out, shoot and make shots because in today’s NBA, you have to be able to make open shots. He is in my corner.
CE: Is he good with the pro path over college?
KJ: Yeah, he understands it. Whenever I first decided to go, he asked if I was sure and made me think about it and I explained it all to him. We have a lot of conversations about it and we are on the same page.
CE: What is the plan for you once the season is over with?
KJ: I might stay at IMG, work out and get ready for the draft. The draft is in June so I am going to have months to work out. I am going to work out here and if any teams want to get me in for a work out, go and do that, but I will probably be back and forth from IMG and LA, working out and getting my body right.
CE: Is it nice being at IMG, they had Jon Isaac a few years ago that contemplated doing what you did, and Anfernee Simons who did do what you are choosing to do?
KJ: It is nice. It shows. Guys went there and got where they wanted to be. Just those two alone, it really convinced me to go there.