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Sean Marks for MVP
Sean Marks puts beach lifestyle on backburner to represent his country as Olympian and first New Zealander in NBA
Waves of Success
by Grant Fuller, spurs.com contributor
San Antonio's Sean Marks
Chris Birck/NBAE/Getty Images
Yachting through the South Pacific off the tiny island of Fiji and riding the waves into shore on a bodyboard, Spurs forward Sean Marks soaked up the sun in his youth. But Marks was not on vacation – he lived there. The blonde-haired New Zealander (Kiwi) spent six years in Fiji in addition to living in his hometown of Auckland, New Zealand, and is a self-proclaimed lover of the beach aside from his affinity for the game of basketball.
“When I was young we’d have my dad’s boat and I got accustomed to the water that way,” Marks says. “When I moved to New Zealand, I had a small single-man boat and my brother had one too, and we would take sailing classes. It was the beach lifestyle, I enjoyed being on the beach and hanging out.”
Marks left home in 1995 to head for a different coastline and play basketball for the University of California Golden Bears in the wake of Cal standouts Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray. While he certainly has had his fair share of beach bum experience in different corners of the globe, Marks prefers the tranquility of New Zealand’s shores to the bustling beach resorts of California.
“I think in New Zealand the big thing is that you can go to a beach and there will be nobody on it,” Marks said. “It’s an island, so you can go to some surf spots or some beaches and there will just be nobody else out there. You can see miles and miles of beach without running into another person.”
The quiet beach life and natural beauty the world came to know in The Lord of the Rings is not the only thing Marks grew to love in New Zealand. He also primed himself for the basketball success he enjoys today. As the first New Zealander ever to play in the NBA, Marks has paved the way for a generation of young Kiwis hooked on hoops in a nation traditionally loyal to rugby, soccer and cricket. Playing for the New Zealand national team, dubbed the Burger King Tall Blacks, Marks helped lead his team to the 2004 Olympics in Athens, where he averaged 10.8 points per game and ranked sixth overall in rebounds for the tournament at 7.0 per game. Marks continues to set the standard for other Kiwis hoping for their shot at the NBA in the future.
“It’s a huge honor to be the first and it’s something that nobody can ever take away from me,” Marks says. “When I was first drafted it was a rather big deal back there and I hope that a lot of the kids start playing at a younger age because they say, ‘Well hey, Sean can make it, why can’t we?’ Hopefully something like that helps to put basketball on the map and obviously the success of the New Zealand basketball team over the years helps as well.”
Marks and his wife, Jennifer, have a toddler son named Aidan who can be found bouncing his way around the SBC Center court before games with the same blonde curls as his father. Marks made a return trip to Fiji on his honeymoon three years ago and hopes to take his American-born son to the South Pacific for a visit after this season. Marks says he is trying to persuade Tim Duncan to hit the waves next summer with he and Brent Barry, who is also an occasional surfer on the Spurs roster.
Marks says he definitely has no complaints about his lifestyle in the United States, but the life he left behind at the age of 17 wasn’t too shabby either.
“I like being at the beach whether it’s surfing, yachting or just splashing around,” Marks said. “I think that comes from growing up in New Zealand where you’re on an island and no matter where you look, you’re relatively close to the beach. I happened to live very close, so we’d spend all summer at the beach.”
Sean Marks for MVP
Cool article. I'm glad the Spurs got him back even if he has to sit on the bench and I'll be going down to Auckland, NZ next semester to do some of my student teaching
May be MVP ... of the IL
ha ha ha ha along with Rasho the mvp of the IR
This picture is so damn funny!
He looks very special in that picture
ohh thats awesome, almost brings a tear to my eye
Yeah!!! I wanna be a Kiwi!!! Go Sean!! I can't wait to scream for him at the games!!! And I just want to plant a big fat kiss on his adorable son!!!
Smooooch!!
Did Sean's wife have their newest child yet? I thought she was due any time now.
I didn't know Shane Heal could sing. Hmmm go figure.
Yeah, but he doesn't have great range on his voice.
Sound familiar?
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