Some players are great at basketball, and some are great at acting. But if you are Duane Martin, you are someone who has conquered both worlds. Duane Martin’s basketball skills were clearly visible during his school days. He even had a tryout with the New York Knicks. Martin signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Knicks in the NBA in 1989 as an undrafted free agent.
Unfortunately, he never got to play professionally. But life had other plans for him.
Martin made his acting debut with the TV series Against the Law. He appeared in the 12th episode, which aired on February 1, 1991. The episode explored the challenges faced by athletes. It was such a fitting debut for him considering he had already suffered a lot of setbacks during his basketball days.
Below, we give you all the scoop on Duane Martin’s basketball career, his rise in Hollywood, his marriage to Tisha Campbell, and the…err… unsavory remarks about him and Will Smith.
Early Life and Basketball Career
Martin was born on August 11, 1965, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. He played at Norman Thomas High in NYC and continued to excel at NYU, where he averaged over 20 points per game. Martin played for his college from 1979 to 1983 and remained the co-captain from 1980 till the end of his career. He finished with 1,062 points and 553 rebounds.
He was drafted by the New York Nicks in the NBA in 1989 as a free agent. However, he couldn’t make a career in the NBA. He was released by the Knicks without playing a single game in the league (although he still made it to the Hall of Fame in 1994).
Transition to Acting
After his basketball career was cut short, Martin started looking for alternate career options. This is when he stumbled upon acting and made his acting debut in the television series Against the Law in 1991.
He went on to make special appearances in series like Roc and CBS Schoolbreak Special. Martin’s first major break came in 1992 when he played Vidal Thomas in the series Out All Night. The series also featured Patti LaBelle, Vivica A Fox, and Morris Chestnut.
In 1992, Martin made his movie debut with the film White Men Can’t Jump, in which he played Willie Lewis, a basketball player. The film received a nomination among the top sports films by American Film Institute (AFI). He also made an appearance in the Boyz II Men music video for I’ll Make Love to You in 1994.
Hollywood Success
Till 2000, Martin had featured in 10 movies and 12 TV series. However, he managed to get a role in the main cast of just two out of these 12 series.
He famously played the role of Robert James on the UPN / The CW sitcom All of Us. The first episode of the series was aired on September 16, 2003. After the merger of UPN and The WB in 2006, the show ran for one season before getting canceled on May 15, 2007. All of Us was created and produced by Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith and was loosely based on their own blended family. The show helped Martin showcase his versatility as an actor in comedy as well as dramatic roles.
Martin is also known for playing the role of Derrick Harver in the 2004 movie The Seat Filler. It was Martin’s first and only appearance in a musical film.
In the sitcom, Rita Rocks, Martin played a recurring role as Chuck and acted alongside his then-wife, Tisha Campbell. Martin also played the role of Fernando in the Paul Reiser Show, which aired in 2011.
He participated in the Real Husbands of Hollywood show and was a part of the same from 2013 to 2016. He returned to the show again in 2022.
In 2017, Martin appeared in three sitcoms: The Odd Couple, The New Edition Story, and Unsung Hollywood. He next appeared as Detective Ben Baines in the series L.A.’s Finest, that followed the lives of two LAPD detectives tackling crime in Los Angeles.
Personal Life and Relationships
Marting married actress Tisha Campbell on August 17, 1996. Tisha (born October 13, 1968, in Oklahoma) made her acting debut at age six in an episode in 1974 of the PBS show The Big Blue Marble. Martin and Tisha met each other for the first time as teenagers on the set of a movie about teen pregnancy.
They welcomed their two children: Xen Martin in 2001, and Ezekiel Czar Martin in 2009.
Tisha filed for divorce in February 2018 after 21 years of marriage. What followed was an ugly battle for custody, allegations of abuse, and a restraining order.
The divorce was finalized in December 2020.
After the divorce, Martin started dating actress and model Ashley Marie Jones. In February 2024, he announced his engagement to Ashley in an Instagram post.
Net Worth and Financial Struggles
Martin’s net worth, as reported by Celebrity Net Worth, is nearly £400,000 ($500,000). His primary source of earnings is his career in the film industry. Despite his success, Martin has encountered financial difficulties.
According to a report in the Daily Mail Online, Martin and his then-wife, Tisha, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2016. In the filing, they disclosed being burdened by $15 million (£12 million) in debt. The documents revealed that their combined assets amounted to only $313,000 (£247,000). Their assets were listed as $65,000 (£51,400) in real estate and $248,000 (£196,000) in personal property. Their total monthly income was $7,655 (£6,000), while their monthly expenses amounted to $16,953 (£13,400).
In the filing, it was revealed that they possessed a 2014 Range Rover, a 2016 Range Rover, a 1999 Kawasaki Drifter, and a Jeep Wrangler. Additionally, in 2004, the couple purchased a Lake Arrowhead, California vacation home for $880,000 (£700,000), which they later sold in 2009 for $1.5 million (£1.2 million).
In 2005, they acquired a 9,000-square-foot home in Chatsworth, California, for $900,000 (£712,000). They lived there until 2018 before filing for divorce. At the time of their divorce filing, the couple put the property up for sale at a price of $2.6 million (£2 million).
A separate legal document disclosed during the bankruptcy proceedings that Martin owed Will Smith $1.5 million (£1.2 million). The two had entered into a loan agreement to buy a home, which was purchased for $900,000 (£712,000) in 2005.
Subsequently, Martin borrowed an additional $1.9 million (£1.5 million), which he was unable to repay, leading to default in 2012. To settle the debt, Duane arranged to pay $1.4 million (£1.1 million) to the bank, using funds borrowed from Smith. He then transferred ownership of the property to an LLC and started paying his company $5,000 (£3,900) in monthly rent.
Controversy with Will Smith
His friendship with Will Smith goes back to the days of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the 90s. Duane made a guest appearance in the very first episode and then played one of Smith’s obnoxious poker buddies in season four.
They went on to develop a close friendship or a “bromance” if you will.
So, coming to the controversy. Will Smith’s former assistant, Brother Bilaal, went on a YouTube show called Unwind With Tasha K. There, he claimed he had walked in on Smith and Martin in a compromising position. Will denied the allegation.