Marcus Banks

Arthur Lemarcus "Marcus" Banks III (born November 19, 1981), is an American professional basketball player.

Banks is 6'2" (1.88 m) tall and 205 lb (93 kg). He played college basketball at the UNLV with the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, where he was Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. He was selected with the thirteenth pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, then traded to the Boston Celtics, along with Kendrick Perkins.

College career

After playing two years at Dixie College, a junior college in St. George, Utah, Banks transferred to UNLV. He played for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, where he was Co-Defensive Player of the Year of the Mountain West Conference as a senior.

Professional career

Boston Celtics

Banks was selected as the thirteenth pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies; however, he was then traded to the Boston Celtics along with Kendrick Perkins. He was traded to the Lakers in 2004 for Gary Payton, but returned to Boston after the trade was amended following Payton's refusal to take a physical. In Boston, Banks was known for his good defense and ball handling; Allen Iverson, a division rival point guard, named Banks as the toughest defender he faced in his career. However, Banks was also known for his poor shooting and decision making. In addition, Coach Doc Rivers had high hopes for rookie Delonte West, who also played point guard. As a result, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge declined to pick up a club option on Banks.