Kevin Martin may have wrapped up his professional playing career, but the he is nowhere near ready to let go of the sport

In November last year, Kevin Martin announced his retirement from the NBA, a family he had been officially part of for 12 years. But despite his departure from the basketball court, Martin has no plans of leaving the sport or the league behind. We caught up with the 34-year-old on February 17 at the Globe Iconic Chroma Store in BGC to discuss how he got started, what pushed him to greatness and what his plans are for the future.

In the early stages of his career, Martin was given the opportunity to work with the Jordan Brand, which allowed him to meet and work with one of the NBA’s legendary players. It was a great experience on a professional level, but it was a personal accomplishment because Martin had always idolized Michael Jordan.

But throughout his successful career, which includes 3 playoffs, Martin suffered a handful of injuries that kept him away from some important games. Despite what he considered “minor setbacks,” however, he found the will to continue on. Driven by the need to prove he could still play well and that he had not lost his talent, Martin played the game with class and integrity and was always thankful for the opportunities that the NBA gave him.

And as for the future, Martin said he will keep away from the benches as a coach, primarily because he knows the hell that players would give him. But on a serious note, he also confirmed that he would like to continue working with the NBA and its various projects to spread the knowledge on and love of basketball. So it is a definite possibility that Martin will join on several NBA clinics as a coach to children young adults.

Just because you leave the court doesn’t mean you need to leave the game behind.