If you entered the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven arena last Saturday afternoon and saw a bunch of old Eisbaeren players coming together once more to play the game they love in front of their fans for the club 20 year anniversary celebration, you would of seen a player where one could of yelled in excitement ‘Who was that’. There was a 37 year old player who was all the over the court and exploded for 33 points and one could of thought that it was still 2010 or 2011. The still athletic player who still had his impressive offensive game going at full throttle was Torrell Martin (196-SG-1985, college: Winthrop). He played his last professional game in the 2014-2015 season. He was back to play a friendly pick up game with ex teammates like Terrell Everett and Lou Campbell and it seemed like he had never left. He played 3 years in Bremerhaven from 2009-2012 and had many memorable games. I had to back track a bit, but after finding an old article I had written, I came upon a game from November 2011 where he and the Eisbaeren visited Frankfurt and won a defensive battle 63-55 as my title said it all with ‘Torrell Martin doesn’t need to display traffic dunks but shows his taste of Ray Allen’ meaning he can shoot the ball well and doesn’t always need to dunk for the highlight reel. ‘I try to motivate Martin to be like Ray Allen to come off screens and use his athleticism and hit open shots’, warned Jamison Brewer after the game in 2011. Even current Fraport Skyliner legend and lifer Quantez Robertson had his two cents to say about how Martin made massive shots in the last 2 minutes including an in your face jumper and catch and pop jumper to decide the game in favor of Bremerhaven. ‘We were unable to get back on transition defense and Torrell Martin got off some screens and hit easy baskets and got them going at the end’, stressed Quantez Robertson. Even more than a decade later Torrell Martin remembers just how much of a pest Quantez Robertson was. ‘I will never forget Quantez Robertson. He pushed me so hard. I always went hard at him and to see him still playing is a lot of motivation’, stated Torrell Martin. Martin had many great memories as a professional player, but it’s no secret that his 3 best seasons were in Bremerhaven.
Torrell Martin began his basketball career at Airport high school and then had an illustrious career at Winthrop (NCAA) from 2003-2007 winning 3 Big South conference titles and being MVP twice. He also helped lead Winthrop to 3 NCAA tournaments and in his last 3 seasons averaged 14,0ppg and 5,0rpg. After playing NBA Summer League in 2007, he began his professional career with the Orlando Magic, but got cut and then headed overseas and played his rookie season with ASCO Slask Wroclaw (Poland-DBE) averaging 10.2ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.5apg, 1.7spg, 2FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 69.0%;and played 12 ULEB Cup games averaging 10.7ppg, 5.3rpg, 1.2apg, 2.0spg, 2FGP: 46.3%, 3FGP: 41.8%, FT: 69.2%. In his second pro season he split time with Kepez Bld Antalya (Turkey-TBL) averaging 13.0ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.2apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 49.0%, 3PT: 29.4%, FT: 75.0%, and played with Kavala/Panorama (Greece-A1) averaging 10.4ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 40.0%. Then came his hey day with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven where he played from 2009-2012. Despite playing 3 seasons with them, he only played a total of 74 games as so often in his career, injuries played a role. The most successful season was the first where the team reached the semi-finals losing a tough 5 game series to the Deutsche Bank Skyliners. ‘That team was very special. We were so locked in that season. We just came up a bit short’, remembered Torrell Martin. His last 2 seasons weren’t as successful anymore and he also had more injury woes, but he still had some potent games against teams like ratiopharm Ulm, Alba Berlin and had some huge games against Frankfurt. He definitely will always have the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven in his heart. ‘Bremerhaven were the 3 best years in my career and the best city that I played in. Injuries did play a role because I could never give the city my full abilities. But I gave them enough for them to see I gave them all my worth. I wish I could of given the city a championship’, warned Torrell Martin.
If one looks at the rosters of the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven in the years from 2009-2012, it is in a way shocking that the club didn’t have more success and were unable to bring a championship to the diehard fans. Martin had incredible teammates every season including some ex NBA players and very skilled German players. He definitely won’t forget those years and his former teammates. ‘I had a great point guard with Lou Campbell and Jeff Gibbs was fire. I had so many other great teammates like Kevin Lyde, Rodney Buford., Brandon Broks, Phil Zwiener and Jan Lipke’, stressed Torrell Martin. He also will never forget how the fans treated him especially after he came home and felt like an MVP. ‘My fondest moment was when I was snubbed of MVP at the allstar game. I had 24 points and 6 dunks but they gave it to Kyle Hines. Much respect to him. He is a monster. I wanted to bring that back to the city. When I came back for the next game the fans were chanting MVP as if I had got it. I really appreciated that’, stressed Torrell Martin. One guy who didn’t return to the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven 20 year anniversary was jeff Gibbs the smallest center to ever play in the easyCredit BBL as he incredibly is still active and playing his 21st professional season at age 42 and 13th in a row in Japan. ‘He is a warrior. I knew back then that he would play a very long time. He had a different kind of motor. He is the type of guy I compared myself to with that motor’, said Torrell Martin. On the court he also remembered some fierce battles, but his favorite wasn’t against top teams Alba Berlin or Brose Bamberg. ‘Playing BG Goettingen in the playoffs and beating them there in that atmosphere. That whole series was crazy. I loved it. They had some great players and were really fired up. We gave it to them. Shout out to my boys Chris Oliver and Chester Frazier’, added Torrell Martin.
His time with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven came to an end in 2012. After that his resume looks like one of a basketball globetrotter. He played his last 3 years in France for 6 teams like Sluc Nancy Basket Pro (France-ProA), Entente Orleans 45 (France-ProA), Chorale de Roanne Basket (France-ProA) and Elan Bearnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez (France-ProA). Stat wise one would have concurred that he lost his form as injuries played a role again, but he didn’t see it that way. ‘I did find my form, again. They thought I was done in Germany. It took me about a year to find my coordination again. I took a lot of contracts and played with many teams. At that point of my career with no kids or pressure financially I did what I wanted to do’, remembered Torell Martin. After the 2014-2015 season he surprisingly retired. He was 30 years old and in good shape, but he had other plans. ‘I didn’t feel like I was too young to retire. You start to play very young in the states and then play at college for free. So if you can play 6-7 seasons then it’s very good. My body was shifting and it told me to get the best of life. That is what I did and I was able to build my training company. Incidentally I built up my body while I was building up my company. I stopped playing early so I could chase my other career. My body was tired but not done. I had had a batchelor of theater and went out to California. I wanted to be more than just an athlete.’, warned Torrell Martin who believes that it is ridiculous to compare Jordan and Lebron as for him there will always be 2 GOATS. So what has Torrell Martin been doing with his life since retiring in 2015? He continues to build his training company that in 2023 has branched out to 8 countries. He lives half the year in Spain and the other half at home in the States where he has a fitness center. He also knows that he will be forever be linked to Bremerhaven and the fans even in the future. ‘Stay tuned there is more to come I will be back multiple times each year. I will have craft camp coming out soon as well as an App, so watch out for that. Every day training with me. This is something where people can learn my moves and much more about the game. So you can be an overall better player. I will be selling that on my website’, said Torrell Martin.
Torrell Martin returned back to Bremerhaven, but one thing was definitely different. The club no longer is in the easyCredit BBL something that definitely takes getting used to. It is no secret that when you had your most success as a professional and had your longest stint with an organization, that you will still have ties to everybody involved there. ‘I didn’t follow it to much the last years but I did check in with certain players. The most important thing for me was keeping in contact with the fans. There is new management now so I have become locked in and hope to continue to have a good relationship with them’, stated Torrell Martin. One could of predicted that he would return back in great shape, but that his basketball skills would still be immaculate was something that one didn’t necessarily count on. But one adage that he still had and most American ballers have is their self-confidence. 33 points was definitely not enough for him. ‘I thought I was going to drop 40 points. I scored 33 points and could of scored more, but I opted for some assists. The game was fun. The thing that I enjoyed most was seeing the guys and their families. I still don’t have an immediate family of my own, because I’m still building my dynasty. Being able to see Craig Callahan play in front of his son who was born in Bremerhaven meant a lot to me’, expressed Torrell Martin. Ex opponent John Bynum who played with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven but years before Martin did predicted that Martin would come best in shape and he was right while Martin saw another player in pretty good shape as well. ‘Terrell Everett was in best shape. I wasn’t surprised but more proud. What many don’t know, he and I worked out like crazy before the game. We weren’t playing games, but were very serious’, warned Torrell Martin. He couldn’t play against John Bynum again last weekend, because he was hurt and served as an assistant coach. He also couldn’t dunk during the game. ‘John and I had many battles back then. It would have been fun if we had played together again. I can still dunk really well today. I chose not to dunk in the game because it hurts my body more now when I jump high. That is how I was able to reinvent my game over the years by not having to jump high. But if someone tries me I will dunk on them’, warned Torrell Martin. One thing is for sure Martin’s athleticism and traffic dunks will definitely never be forgotten in Bremerhaven.
Tags : TORRELL MARTIN, CHORALE DE ROANNE BASKET, GERMAN BASKETBALL
