Former Florida Gator Alijah Martin Turning Heads Early in NBA Career

Former Florida Gators guard Alijah Martin (55) recently made his NBA debut with the Toronto Raptors.

Former Florida Gators guard Alijah Martin (55) recently made his NBA debut with the Toronto Raptors. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

After spending the first few months of the NBA season sharpening his craft in the G League, one former Florida Gators standout finally announced himself on the big stage, and did it with some flair.

In his fourth NBA appearance, Toronto Raptors guard Alijah Martin logged a career-high in minutes while scoring a personal-best seven points on 52.8% shooting, along with three assists, a rebound, and a block.

 Two of his three made shots came straight off the highlight reel, capped by a thunderous dunk and a clutch fourth-quarter three.

Alijah Martin’s 2nd NBA bucket was this statement dunk!!!

The dunk and the stare down!!!! 😤 https://t.co/HibV5slZT1 pic.twitter.com/0JVUpUCp0v

— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) January 10, 2026

While his NBA experience has been limited up to this point, he has excelled during his time with Toronto’s G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, throughout the early portion of the season. Through 14 G League games, Martin is averaging 18.7 points on 49.7 percent shooting from the field to go along with 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while logging 30.2 minutes a night.

His best performance of the season came against the Long Island Nets, when he led all players with 30 points while adding eight rebounds and three assists.

On Dec. 9, the rookie was named NBA G League Player of the Week after averaging 26.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 58.1 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Last year, Martin helped lead the Gators to a national championship while averaging a career-high 14.4 points per game to go along with 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Although he spent just one season as a Gator, Martin established himself as one of the most impactful transfers in program history. Among all players to transfer to Florida, he ranks in the program’s top ten in points, steals, and three-point field goals.

The former FAU standout also rose to the occasion when Florida needed him most, scoring a team-high 18 points in the Gators’ upset win over No. 1 Tennessee and adding 17 points on 60 percent shooting in their Final Four victory over Auburn.

From the moment he arrived in Gainesville, Gators head coach Todd Golden was singing his praises.

“Alijah is a guy that regardless of what the score is, you know that he’s going to compete at a high level. He’s a guy that I would always want on my team,” Golden said. “He’s always going to play the right way. I’ve seen his floor game improve dramatically since he’s been with us already.”

Martin is just getting started, but if his early production is any indicator, he should have a bright future ahead of him.