University of Memphis Athletics
Jeremiah Martin making most of NBA opportunity
Aug 05, 2020 | Men's Basketball
Ex-Tiger says playing for Coach Penny Hardaway accelerated his advancement
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The play was vintage Jeremiah Martin.
Quick hands denying Milwaukee an opportunity to launch a potential game-tying shot.
Quick hands knocking the ball from the hands of Bucks' guard Donte DiVincenzo, just at the moment he was sizing up a likely 3-pointer in the closing seconds against Martin's Brooklyn Nets.
Those same quick hands that saw Martin lead the University of Memphis in steals for three straight seasons, from 2016-17 to 2018-19, and end his career fifth in school history.
"That is it, the hands of Jeremiah Martin help seal a 119-116 Brooklyn victory," said the play-by-play announcer on NBA.com as the Nets celebrated with Martin, a non-drafted free agent last summer who worked his way onto an NBA roster.
Tuesday's victory had Martin's fingerprints on more than the basketball DiVencenzo lost possession of as time expired. The dogged determination of the Nets in pulling off the biggest upset of the NBA's Orlando bubble games was a reflection of their key reserve Martin.
The New York Post's headline screamed: "Nets stun Bucks for one of the biggest upsets in NBA history." And the game recap called it "the biggest NBA upset win in over a quarter-century" as the Nets entered as nearly 20-point underdogs.
The Nets and Martin were playing the winningest team in the league and competing against the Bucks and likely league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo without their top nine rotation players. Grit and determination carried the Nets, the same qualities that saw Martin develop into one of the top 10 scorers in Memphis history.
Martin finished with nine points and three rebounds in 19 minutes in the best NBA outing of his fledgling career. But it was his defense – so familiar to Memphis fans and to one Memphian, in particular – that stood out.
"Jeremiah was a great defender (against Milwaukee)," said Chris Chiozza, a Nets' guard who played high school basketball at White Station and college ball at Florida. "He's done that every time he gets a chance to play. He's one of our better defenders.
"He's known as a defender. He just comes with a different energy and a different mentality than a lot of guys in the league. He takes pride in the defensive end and that's why we like him. Smart player. He really came in and set the tone, got charges, got some strips and got us out in the open court and we capitalized on that."
In other words, despite being only his fifth NBA game, Martin looked as if he belonged. His journey to the NBA – beginning with Miami's G-League team and then the Nets' minor-league affiliate in Long Island, N.Y. – has been one Memphis coach Penny Hardaway could have predicted.
"I'm very proud of Jeremiah," Hardaway said. "He got to the NBA because of his work ethic, perseverance, focus, determination and toughness. He never allowed anyone to tell him what he couldn't accomplish."
Martin, who attended Mitchell High in Memphis, averaged only 2.7 points as a freshman at the UofM. By the completion of his senior season, he had emerged as one of the most prolific scorers in school history, becoming the only Tiger to post two 40-point games in a career.
Martin said his path to the NBA was created by his coaches at Memphis, especially coach Hardaway and his staff, who worked with Martin his senior season in 2018-19. Only the legendary Larry Finch scored more points in his senior season than Martin.
"(Coach Hardaway) helped me learn a lot of concepts," Martin said. "We ran a lot of NBA plays that we are using now with (the Nets). Coach Hardaway was really into knowing your pick-and-rolls, knowing what passes to make, knowing what reads to make, knowing when to layup and knowing when to attack.
"He was big on a lot of point guard stuff that helped me get to where I am right now. He was a point guard in the NBA. I was lucky to have a guy like that going into my last year before I became a pro."
As for his NBA opportunity, Martin is hoping to make the best of it. He came to the Nets shortly before the coronavirus halted the season in early March, following an impressive run at Long Island. At Long Island, he averaged 17.7 points in 16 games.
"I worked hard for this opportunity," he said. "I did whatever I had to do: score, defend, rebound. And I just waited my turn and took advantage of opportunities.
"There was a lot of mental (aspects) to it, too. You knew there were going to be ups and downs starting a (professional) career against grown men who know the game."
He's also been part of the most unique, ambitious experiment in NBA history: Playing the final few weeks of the season in a protected bubble environment in Orlando during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Life in the bubble has been different, but Martin said it's also been manageable. The NBA is playing at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, where Martin and the Tigers participated in a Thanksgiving tournament in 2018.
"You can do a lot of different things," he said. "You can swim. We have a players' lounge. You can fish. You can golf. You can go out on a boat. There's enough to enjoy your day.
"The NBA did a great job putting (the seeding games in Orlando's bubble) together. It's like being in a big camp. You're just around the best players in the world."
Quick hands denying Milwaukee an opportunity to launch a potential game-tying shot.
Quick hands knocking the ball from the hands of Bucks' guard Donte DiVincenzo, just at the moment he was sizing up a likely 3-pointer in the closing seconds against Martin's Brooklyn Nets.
Those same quick hands that saw Martin lead the University of Memphis in steals for three straight seasons, from 2016-17 to 2018-19, and end his career fifth in school history.
"That is it, the hands of Jeremiah Martin help seal a 119-116 Brooklyn victory," said the play-by-play announcer on NBA.com as the Nets celebrated with Martin, a non-drafted free agent last summer who worked his way onto an NBA roster.
Tuesday's victory had Martin's fingerprints on more than the basketball DiVencenzo lost possession of as time expired. The dogged determination of the Nets in pulling off the biggest upset of the NBA's Orlando bubble games was a reflection of their key reserve Martin.
The New York Post's headline screamed: "Nets stun Bucks for one of the biggest upsets in NBA history." And the game recap called it "the biggest NBA upset win in over a quarter-century" as the Nets entered as nearly 20-point underdogs.
The Nets and Martin were playing the winningest team in the league and competing against the Bucks and likely league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo without their top nine rotation players. Grit and determination carried the Nets, the same qualities that saw Martin develop into one of the top 10 scorers in Memphis history.
Martin finished with nine points and three rebounds in 19 minutes in the best NBA outing of his fledgling career. But it was his defense – so familiar to Memphis fans and to one Memphian, in particular – that stood out.
"Jeremiah was a great defender (against Milwaukee)," said Chris Chiozza, a Nets' guard who played high school basketball at White Station and college ball at Florida. "He's done that every time he gets a chance to play. He's one of our better defenders.
"He's known as a defender. He just comes with a different energy and a different mentality than a lot of guys in the league. He takes pride in the defensive end and that's why we like him. Smart player. He really came in and set the tone, got charges, got some strips and got us out in the open court and we capitalized on that."
In other words, despite being only his fifth NBA game, Martin looked as if he belonged. His journey to the NBA – beginning with Miami's G-League team and then the Nets' minor-league affiliate in Long Island, N.Y. – has been one Memphis coach Penny Hardaway could have predicted.
"I'm very proud of Jeremiah," Hardaway said. "He got to the NBA because of his work ethic, perseverance, focus, determination and toughness. He never allowed anyone to tell him what he couldn't accomplish."
Martin, who attended Mitchell High in Memphis, averaged only 2.7 points as a freshman at the UofM. By the completion of his senior season, he had emerged as one of the most prolific scorers in school history, becoming the only Tiger to post two 40-point games in a career.
Martin said his path to the NBA was created by his coaches at Memphis, especially coach Hardaway and his staff, who worked with Martin his senior season in 2018-19. Only the legendary Larry Finch scored more points in his senior season than Martin.
"(Coach Hardaway) helped me learn a lot of concepts," Martin said. "We ran a lot of NBA plays that we are using now with (the Nets). Coach Hardaway was really into knowing your pick-and-rolls, knowing what passes to make, knowing what reads to make, knowing when to layup and knowing when to attack.
"He was big on a lot of point guard stuff that helped me get to where I am right now. He was a point guard in the NBA. I was lucky to have a guy like that going into my last year before I became a pro."
As for his NBA opportunity, Martin is hoping to make the best of it. He came to the Nets shortly before the coronavirus halted the season in early March, following an impressive run at Long Island. At Long Island, he averaged 17.7 points in 16 games.
"I worked hard for this opportunity," he said. "I did whatever I had to do: score, defend, rebound. And I just waited my turn and took advantage of opportunities.
"There was a lot of mental (aspects) to it, too. You knew there were going to be ups and downs starting a (professional) career against grown men who know the game."
He's also been part of the most unique, ambitious experiment in NBA history: Playing the final few weeks of the season in a protected bubble environment in Orlando during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Life in the bubble has been different, but Martin said it's also been manageable. The NBA is playing at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, where Martin and the Tigers participated in a Thanksgiving tournament in 2018.
"You can do a lot of different things," he said. "You can swim. We have a players' lounge. You can fish. You can golf. You can go out on a boat. There's enough to enjoy your day.
"The NBA did a great job putting (the seeding games in Orlando's bubble) together. It's like being in a big camp. You're just around the best players in the world."
Players Mentioned
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