Whatever Happened to Former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby?

Marcus Camby established himself as one of the best defensive players in the NBA during a career that began in 1996 and ended 17 seasons later. The 6-foot-11 center was a nightmare for opponents, and players struggled when trying to go head-to-head with the imposing interior stopper.

Camby was in the same draft class as Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, bursting onto the scene as one of the top collegiate prospects. But what's happened since he hung up the sneakers?

Marcus Camby dominated at the college level

As a senior in high school, Camby was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Connecticut after leading his team to a 27-0 record and a state title. He went on to play at the University of Massachusetts, where he immediately set an NCAA freshman record with 105 blocks and was named the Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year.

Camby had a lot of success throughout his collegiate career, but especially during his junior year. He won the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, led UMass to multiple No. 1 rankings throughout the season, and helped the team advance to the 1996 NCAA Final Four. During that NCAA tournament, Camby set a record with 43 blocked shots in 11 games.

After his junior year, Camby decided to enter the 1996 NBA Draft. He was the second overall pick, behind only Allen Iverson. The center went to the Toronto Raptors, where he looked to have the same success there as he did in college.

Marcus Camby’s NBA career

Marcus Camby had a productive rookie season in Toronto. He averaged 14.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks and was named to the All-Rookie First Team.

The next season, he led the league in blocks with 3.7 per game. Camby quickly established himself as a dominant rim protector, and after spending two seasons in Toronto, he was traded to the New York Knicks, where he backed up Patrick Ewing.

The Knicks entered the 1999 NBA Playoffs as the eighth seed and made a huge run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Ewing went down in the series, and Camby stepped up in a big way. He helped lead the Knicks past the Pacers and into the 1999 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Though the Spurs won in five games. Camby used the momentum to become a starter during his final two seasons in New York.

Throughout his career, Camby continued to put up impressive stats. He led the league in blocks for three straight seasons from 2006-08 while playing for the Denver Nuggets, and he finished his career averaging 9.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks.

Camby wound up playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Houston Rockets before spending his final season with the Knicks. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and was named to four All-Defensive teams.

Marcus Camby’s career after playing in the NBA

Since the end of Marcus Camby's playing career, he's only dabbled in the basketball world.

In October 2022, he served as a league ambassador when the Toronto Raptors played an exhibition game against the Utah Jazz as part of the NBA Canada series, but he hasn't made too many more notable appearances.

The big man was also in the news in 2019, as he and his wife of nearly 14 years, Eva Camby, got divorced and Marcus agreed to pay her $4.1 million and $15,000 in child support. The two had two children together (Milan and Maya), but a woman named Noemi Valdez sued Marcus for neglecting another of his children, Makiah, in 2018, prompting Eva to file for divorce.

The 49-year-old has a net worth of $50 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.