MarShon Brooks
A gifted scorer whose smooth offensive game made him a standout in China after a journeyman start in the NBA.
Born 1989 (age 37)·American basketball player·Birthday: January 26·Millennials
Biography
MarShon Brooks possessed the kind of effortless scoring talent that gets players drafted in the first round. A sleek 6'6" guard out of Providence, where he led the Big East in scoring, he landed with the Brooklyn Nets and immediately showed flashes of being a bucket-getter, earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. But the league is unforgiving to players whose strengths are primarily offensive, and Brooks found himself bouncing between teams, unable to secure a permanent role. His career found its second act an ocean away. In the Chinese Basketball Association, his isolation scoring and creative shot-making became a premium asset. He transformed into a dominant force for the Guangdong Southern Tigers, winning championships and becoming a perennial candidate for league MVP, proving that a player's impact can be measured on different stages.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
MarShon was born in 1989, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When MarShon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1989
#1 Movie
Batman
Best Picture
Driving Miss Daisy
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
MarShon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1989Born
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1994Started school
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2002Became a teenager
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Could drive
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2007Could vote
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2010Turned 21
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2019Turned 30
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 37 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2012 after averaging 12.6 points per game for the New Jersey Nets.
- Led the Big East Conference in scoring during his senior year at Providence College, averaging 24.6 points per game.
- Won multiple Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) championships with the Guangdong Southern Tigers.
- Was a CBA International MVP and multiple-time All-Star during his tenure in China.
Did You Know?
He wears jersey number 6 as a tribute to his childhood idol, Julius Erving (Dr. J).
He was traded by the Boston Celtics on draft night in 2011, just minutes after they selected him 25th overall.
In the 2013-14 season, he played for three different NBA teams: the Celtics, Warriors, and Lakers.
He set a CBA Finals record by scoring 41 points in a single game during the 2021 championship series.
“Scoring has always been natural for me; I just find the angles.”
