Marty Blake
Encyclopedia
Marty Blake is the Director of Scouting
Services for the National Basketball Association
and founder of Marty Blake and Associates, a basketball scouting firm. He previously served as general manager
of the Atlanta Hawks
franchise.
, in 1927, Blake became manager of the Hawks in 1954, when the team was based in Milwaukee. From 1954 to 1970, Blake guided the team to seven division titles and one NBA Championship (1958
). One of Blake's most notable player acquisitions for the Hawks was Lenny Wilkens
, a point guard
from Providence College
whom Blake had watched in the 1960 National Invitation Tournament
. Blake selected Wilkens with the seventh pick of the 1960 NBA Draft
, and Wilkens went on to have a Hall of Fame
career as a player and a coach.
At the 1970 NBA Draft
, Blake became the first general manager in NBA history to select a player from a foreign league by drafting Mexico
's Manuel Raga
in the 10th round. Blake followed that selection with Italy
's Dino Meneghin
in the 11th round. Neither player ever signed with the Hawks, since the team could not afford to buy out their contracts, but the draft selections set the stage for the later influx of global talent into the NBA.
In 1970, Blake left the Hawks to become president of the Pittsburgh Condors
, a team in the rival American Basketball Association
. He spent one season with them before founding his own basketball scouting service, Marty Blake and Associates.
occurred in 1976, Blake was named NBA Director of Scouting Services, a position he continues to hold as of 2008. Some of the players Blake and his associates have discovered include Jack Sikma
, Terry Porter
, Dennis Rodman
, Scottie Pippen
, Tim Hardaway
, Ben Wallace
, Karl Malone
, and Joe Dumars
. Official NBA publications have referred to Blake as the "Godfather of the NBA Draft" because of his ability to identify skilled players at smaller colleges.
In 2005, Blake received the Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame, the hall's most prestigious honor outside of enshrinement. He once maintained a blog
at NBA.com called "On the Road with Marty Blake."
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
Services for the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and founder of Marty Blake and Associates, a basketball scouting firm. He previously served as general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
franchise.
Early career
Born in Paterson, New JerseyPaterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, in 1927, Blake became manager of the Hawks in 1954, when the team was based in Milwaukee. From 1954 to 1970, Blake guided the team to seven division titles and one NBA Championship (1958
1958 NBA Finals
The 1958 NBA Finals pitted the Western Champion St. Louis Hawks against the Eastern Champion Boston Celtics. The Hawks won the series in six games to become the National Basketball Association champions.-Series summary:Hawks win series 4-2...
). One of Blake's most notable player acquisitions for the Hawks was Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA...
, a point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
from Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
whom Blake had watched in the 1960 National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
. Blake selected Wilkens with the seventh pick of the 1960 NBA Draft
1960 NBA Draft
The 1960 NBA Draft was the 14th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 11, 1960 before the 1960–61 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college...
, and Wilkens went on to have a Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
career as a player and a coach.
At the 1970 NBA Draft
1970 NBA Draft
The 1970 NBA Draft was the 24th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 23, 1970 before the 1970–71 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
, Blake became the first general manager in NBA history to select a player from a foreign league by drafting Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's Manuel Raga
Manuel Raga
Manuel Raga Navarro is a retired Mexican basketball player.-Career:Nicknamed the "Flying Mexican", Raga played professionally for Pallacanestro Varese in Italy from 1968 to 1973 and won 3 Euroleague championships.In 1970, he became the first player from an international league to be selected in...
in the 10th round. Blake followed that selection with Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Dino Meneghin
Dino Meneghin
Dino Meneghin is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is widely considered as the best Italian player ever, as well as one of Europe's all time greats. A 2.06 m tall center, Meneghin was born in Alano di Piave, Veneto...
in the 11th round. Neither player ever signed with the Hawks, since the team could not afford to buy out their contracts, but the draft selections set the stage for the later influx of global talent into the NBA.
In 1970, Blake left the Hawks to become president of the Pittsburgh Condors
Pittsburgh Condors
The Pittsburgh Condors were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association. Originally called the Pittsburgh Pipers, they were a charter franchise of the ABA...
, a team in the rival American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
. He spent one season with them before founding his own basketball scouting service, Marty Blake and Associates.
1970s–present
When the ABA-NBA mergerABA-NBA merger
The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...
occurred in 1976, Blake was named NBA Director of Scouting Services, a position he continues to hold as of 2008. Some of the players Blake and his associates have discovered include Jack Sikma
Jack Sikma
Jack Wayne Sikma is a retired American NBA basketball center. He was known for his distinctive curly, blonde hair in his playing days....
, Terry Porter
Terry Porter
Terry Porter is an American professional basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association . A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA Draft...
, Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
, Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
, Tim Hardaway
Tim Hardaway
Timothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guards...
, Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace
Ben Camey Wallace is an American basketball center for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA. A native of Alabama, Wallace attended Cuyahoga Community College and Virginia Union University and signed with the Washington Bullets as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
, Karl Malone
Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone , nicknamed "The Mailman", is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Malone spent his first 18 seasons with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate...
, and Joe Dumars
Joe Dumars
Joe Dumars III , nicknamed Joe D, is a retired American basketball player in the NBA, and currently the Detroit Pistons' President of Basketball Operations....
. Official NBA publications have referred to Blake as the "Godfather of the NBA Draft" because of his ability to identify skilled players at smaller colleges.
In 2005, Blake received the Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame, the hall's most prestigious honor outside of enshrinement. He once maintained a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
at NBA.com called "On the Road with Marty Blake."