Elise10
Starter
http://www.nba.com/kings/features/The_Pride_of_Zanesville_032307.html
The Pride of Zanesville
The Pride of Zanesville
By Andrew Nicholson
Amelia Earhart, the first woman to pilot a plane across the Atlantic solo, called Zanesville, Ohio "the most recognizable city in the country," referring to the city's trademark Y Bridge’s usefulness as a navigational aid to pilots.
Nowadays the city is recognizable for a different reason.
Kevin Martin.
As the Kings leading scorer and most proficient shooter, he's having a breakout statistical year in his third season. He was the man at Western Carolina. Take a stroll to Safeway, and you may run into five guys with Martin's #23 jersey on in a matter of minutes. And then, of course, there are the ladies, who can't resist screaming, "Kevin, I love you!!!" Anytime he touches the ball at ARCO Arena or on the road.
Before the fame, his largest following came from his hometown. Zanesville, Ohio -- they're Kevin's people. They knew what the NBA was in for, long before he made ESPN’s Top 10 plays for his late game heroics against the Spurs in last year’s first round of the playoffs.
"When Kevin was first drafted into the NBA, we went to the VW 3 and he had at least 300 or 400 people there," Kevin's uncle, Antwan Martin said of a local bar. "And then when they got wind of him playing in Cleveland, the town just supported him. And every year there are (thousands of) people there (to watch the Kings vs. Cavaliers)."
That's a lot of support.
Before Martin even made it to the league, when he was just young man with dreams of making it, he had hundreds of people hanging out with him to watch the draft. Not knowing where he would be selected, the people supported “Baby Kevin.”
Yep, Baby Kevin is what many call the Kings shooting guard. Although, if you asked number 23 if this was true, he may blush.
"I still call him Baby Kevin," Antwan explained. "Because my brother, who is his father, is big Kevin, so we call him Baby Kevin here. A lot of Zanesville fans call him Baby Kevin."
Forget K-Mart, Special K, Prince, Zanesville Zapper and Goose. Martin's people call him Baby Kevin!
After Kevin was selected by the Kings in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft, Kevin's following grew. Antwan estimates in the four seconds of playing time that Kevin saw in his first professional game in Cleveland, Kevin had about 10,000 people in the stands.
That’s a long trip – 146 miles! It’s also probably one-third of the Zanesville population making a day trip for Kevin's first game in Ohio.
That's a lot of love.
Now, fast forward to this year. Martin and the Kings played the Cavaliers on March 13, just a normal Tuesday in most parts of the country. Not in Ohio. It wasn't Ohio State football, but you could have fooled quite a few people. Martin playing in Cleveland, turned up somewhere between 1,500 and 4,000 supporters.
"A lot of the fans wore airbrushed shirts that said ‘K-MART’ and ‘Zanesville’ and all kinds of things that have to do with Kevin," Antwan said proudly. "I think there was way more Kevin Martin fans than there was LeBron James fans. It was great!"
Martin's uncle is just the messenger of Kevin's following. He isn't the ring leader of the Pride of Zanesville.
"Everyone does it on their own," Antwan said of making the long trip for Kevin's annual Cleveland game.
"They're extremely proud of him. The thing they like about Kevin is not only that he is an NBA player, but he remembers where he came from and he gives back to the community.
"They love him here."
While Martin had a lot of fans on hand to see him score 13 points, dish three assists and grab two steals, it was the seven kids sitting courtside at Quicken Loans Arena that were Kevin's entourage for the night. Thanks to two kind Zanesville cohorts.
Dr. Kevin Moore and Physician’s Assistant Toni Mohan heard that Antwan's assistant coach, a Zanesville nurse, was looking for a way to get the group of seven -- seven, eight and nine year olds to Kevin's game. So the pair paid for the kid's seats and food and drink for the evening.
As for meeting Kevin, Antwan had no problem setting that up.
"I called him a week before the game and asked him if he would mind if I brought the kids up to see him and meet him and he said that was fine. He said, "I'll have jerseys for them and they'll already be signed."
The kids had an unforgettable experience and despite the Kings loss, the Zanesville faithful were able to see their hometown hero.
It was, after all, a week after Martin won his first Player of the Week Award.
"That was awesome!” Antwan said glowingly. “Every time Kevin does something good the paper will write a nice article about it, so (Zanesville was) ecstatic about it!"
Even if Kevin never wins another Player of the Week Award, he will always be the toast of the town where he grew up. Because in the NBA, the players that remember their roots are the one's that are forever regarded in the highest. After the playing days are over, people remember far more about a person's character than their skill on the hardwood.
"He's just a good person," Antwan said. "He would do anything for anyone."
There's no wonder why everyone loves Baby Kevin.
Nowadays the city is recognizable for a different reason.
Kevin Martin.
As the Kings leading scorer and most proficient shooter, he's having a breakout statistical year in his third season. He was the man at Western Carolina. Take a stroll to Safeway, and you may run into five guys with Martin's #23 jersey on in a matter of minutes. And then, of course, there are the ladies, who can't resist screaming, "Kevin, I love you!!!" Anytime he touches the ball at ARCO Arena or on the road.
Before the fame, his largest following came from his hometown. Zanesville, Ohio -- they're Kevin's people. They knew what the NBA was in for, long before he made ESPN’s Top 10 plays for his late game heroics against the Spurs in last year’s first round of the playoffs.
"When Kevin was first drafted into the NBA, we went to the VW 3 and he had at least 300 or 400 people there," Kevin's uncle, Antwan Martin said of a local bar. "And then when they got wind of him playing in Cleveland, the town just supported him. And every year there are (thousands of) people there (to watch the Kings vs. Cavaliers)."
That's a lot of support.
Before Martin even made it to the league, when he was just young man with dreams of making it, he had hundreds of people hanging out with him to watch the draft. Not knowing where he would be selected, the people supported “Baby Kevin.”
Yep, Baby Kevin is what many call the Kings shooting guard. Although, if you asked number 23 if this was true, he may blush.
"I still call him Baby Kevin," Antwan explained. "Because my brother, who is his father, is big Kevin, so we call him Baby Kevin here. A lot of Zanesville fans call him Baby Kevin."
Forget K-Mart, Special K, Prince, Zanesville Zapper and Goose. Martin's people call him Baby Kevin!
After Kevin was selected by the Kings in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft, Kevin's following grew. Antwan estimates in the four seconds of playing time that Kevin saw in his first professional game in Cleveland, Kevin had about 10,000 people in the stands.
That’s a long trip – 146 miles! It’s also probably one-third of the Zanesville population making a day trip for Kevin's first game in Ohio.
That's a lot of love.
Now, fast forward to this year. Martin and the Kings played the Cavaliers on March 13, just a normal Tuesday in most parts of the country. Not in Ohio. It wasn't Ohio State football, but you could have fooled quite a few people. Martin playing in Cleveland, turned up somewhere between 1,500 and 4,000 supporters.
"A lot of the fans wore airbrushed shirts that said ‘K-MART’ and ‘Zanesville’ and all kinds of things that have to do with Kevin," Antwan said proudly. "I think there was way more Kevin Martin fans than there was LeBron James fans. It was great!"
Martin's uncle is just the messenger of Kevin's following. He isn't the ring leader of the Pride of Zanesville.
"Everyone does it on their own," Antwan said of making the long trip for Kevin's annual Cleveland game.
"They're extremely proud of him. The thing they like about Kevin is not only that he is an NBA player, but he remembers where he came from and he gives back to the community.
"They love him here."
While Martin had a lot of fans on hand to see him score 13 points, dish three assists and grab two steals, it was the seven kids sitting courtside at Quicken Loans Arena that were Kevin's entourage for the night. Thanks to two kind Zanesville cohorts.
Dr. Kevin Moore and Physician’s Assistant Toni Mohan heard that Antwan's assistant coach, a Zanesville nurse, was looking for a way to get the group of seven -- seven, eight and nine year olds to Kevin's game. So the pair paid for the kid's seats and food and drink for the evening.
As for meeting Kevin, Antwan had no problem setting that up.
"I called him a week before the game and asked him if he would mind if I brought the kids up to see him and meet him and he said that was fine. He said, "I'll have jerseys for them and they'll already be signed."
The kids had an unforgettable experience and despite the Kings loss, the Zanesville faithful were able to see their hometown hero.
It was, after all, a week after Martin won his first Player of the Week Award.
"That was awesome!” Antwan said glowingly. “Every time Kevin does something good the paper will write a nice article about it, so (Zanesville was) ecstatic about it!"
Even if Kevin never wins another Player of the Week Award, he will always be the toast of the town where he grew up. Because in the NBA, the players that remember their roots are the one's that are forever regarded in the highest. After the playing days are over, people remember far more about a person's character than their skill on the hardwood.
"He's just a good person," Antwan said. "He would do anything for anyone."
There's no wonder why everyone loves Baby Kevin.
