Rolando Blackman
Encyclopedia
Rolando Antonio Blackman (born February 26, 1959 in Panama City
, Panama
) is a retired professional basketball
player. He was an All-Star who spent most of his career with the Dallas Mavericks
. He is now an assistant coach with the Turkey national basketball team
.
where he played basketball under Jack Hartman
. At Kansas State, Blackman had a number of noteworthy achievements:
Finally, prior to his senior season, Blackman also was a starter for the 1980 Summer Olympics
basketball team that did not participate because of the U.S. Olympic boycott by President Jimmy Carter
.
Long after his departure from school, in 1996, when the Big Eight Conference expanded to the Big 12, Blackman was named to the AP all-time All-Big Eight basketball team.
Blackman's number 25 jersey was retired by Kansas State in a ceremony at halftime of a game against Iowa State
on February 17, 2007.
. In eleven seasons with the Mavericks, Blackman was named to the NBA All-Star Team four times and played on six Maverick playoff teams. Blackman scored 16,643 points (which was a franchise record he held for 18 years until being broken by Dirk Nowitzki on March 8, 2008)and 6,487 field goals with the Mavericks.
Blackman spent his final two seasons in the NBA with the New York Knicks
. When he retired from the league following the 1993–94 NBA season, he had career totals of 17,623 points, 3,278 rebounds and 2,981 assists. Blackman's points total ranks as the 60th-best in NBA history (directly behind Magic Johnson
). His number 22 was retired by the Mavericks on March 11, 2000.
team AEK Athens BC
in the middle of the 1994-95 season. The next season he played for Stefanel Milano
in the Italian League
, and helped them to win both the Italian National Championship and the Italian Cup of the 1995-96 season by averaging 15.3 points per game. His Italian club also reached the final game of the Korać Cup
championship that season, which they lost to Efes Pilsen Istanbul.
. The next year he served as an assistant coach for the German National team
and helped lead them to a bronze medal at the 2002 World Basketball Championships
in Indianapolis
. During the 2004-05 NBA season
, Blackman was hired as one of the Mavericks' television
analysts, along with Matt Pinto
and Bob Ortegel
. For the 2005-06 NBA season
, Blackman returned to the Mavericks' bench, serving his first season as a full-fledged assistant coach. In July 2006 he was promoted to the position of Director of Player Development.
In August 2010, Blackman was hired on as an assistant coach by Turkey head coach Bogdan Tanjevic
in advance of the 2010 FIBA World Championship
tournament. Blackman stated that he took the job specifically to work again with Tanjevic, who had been his coach in Milan.
During the 2006 NBA Finals
, Blackman's former coach with the New York Knicks
, Pat Riley
, admitted, publicly for the first time, that sitting Rolando Blackman in favor of John Starks
during Games 6 and 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals
was the biggest coaching mistake in his career and that he has never forgiven himself for it.
.
Blackman is on the Board of Directors of the Assist Youth Foundation. The foundation's goal is to advance opportunities for underprivileged kids in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
and across the globe.
Blackman is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
fraternity. Blackman continues to contribute to his chapter, Beta Psi, as well as the Kansas State University community.
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
) is a retired professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He was an All-Star who spent most of his career with the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. He is now an assistant coach with the Turkey national basketball team
Turkey national basketball team
The Turkish national basketball team is the basketball section that represents Turkey in international competitions. The team is nicknamed "12 Dev Adam" ....
.
College basketball
After being raised in Brooklyn, New York, Blackman attended Kansas State UniversityKansas State Wildcats
Kansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
where he played basketball under Jack Hartman
Jack Hartman
-Coaching record at Kansas State:- References :...
. At Kansas State, Blackman had a number of noteworthy achievements:
- In 1980, he was named the Big Eight ConferenceBig Eight ConferenceThe Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
Player of the Year and All-American. - He was a three-time unanimous All-Big Eight selection.
- He was three times named the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year.
- He scored 1,844 career points, the second-highest total in Kansas State history.
- He had a career .517 Field Goal Percentage and a .717 Free Throw Percentage.
Finally, prior to his senior season, Blackman also was a starter for the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
basketball team that did not participate because of the U.S. Olympic boycott by President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
.
Long after his departure from school, in 1996, when the Big Eight Conference expanded to the Big 12, Blackman was named to the AP all-time All-Big Eight basketball team.
Blackman's number 25 jersey was retired by Kansas State in a ceremony at halftime of a game against Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones
The Iowa State Cyclones are the athletic teams of Iowa State University. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.*Men's sports...
on February 17, 2007.
NBA
Rolando Blackman was drafted by the Mavericks in the first round (9th overall) of the 1981 NBA Draft1981 NBA Draft
The 1981 NBA Draft was the 35th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1981, before the 1981–82 season. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
. In eleven seasons with the Mavericks, Blackman was named to the NBA All-Star Team four times and played on six Maverick playoff teams. Blackman scored 16,643 points (which was a franchise record he held for 18 years until being broken by Dirk Nowitzki on March 8, 2008)and 6,487 field goals with the Mavericks.
Blackman spent his final two seasons in the NBA with the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. When he retired from the league following the 1993–94 NBA season, he had career totals of 17,623 points, 3,278 rebounds and 2,981 assists. Blackman's points total ranks as the 60th-best in NBA history (directly behind Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
). His number 22 was retired by the Mavericks on March 11, 2000.
Europe
Rolando Blackman signed with the Greek LeagueA1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
team AEK Athens BC
AEK Athens BC
AEK BC , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek professional sports basketball club based in Athens, Greece. The club was established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War ....
in the middle of the 1994-95 season. The next season he played for Stefanel Milano
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
in the Italian League
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
, and helped them to win both the Italian National Championship and the Italian Cup of the 1995-96 season by averaging 15.3 points per game. His Italian club also reached the final game of the Korać Cup
Korac Cup
The Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971-72 and 2001-02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the European Champions' Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup...
championship that season, which they lost to Efes Pilsen Istanbul.
Post-playing career
In 2000, Blackman was tapped to be the defensive coordinator for the Mavericks under coach Don NelsonDon Nelson
Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors....
. The next year he served as an assistant coach for the German National team
Germany national basketball team
The German national basketball team for men is the basketball side that represents Germany in international competitions. Their biggest successes are the victory in the European Championship of 1993 at home in Germany, the silver medal in the 2005 European Championships and the bronze medal in the...
and helped lead them to a bronze medal at the 2002 World Basketball Championships
2002 FIBA World Championship
The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. During the 2004-05 NBA season
2004-05 NBA season
The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
, Blackman was hired as one of the Mavericks' television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
analysts, along with Matt Pinto
Matt Pinto
Matt Pinto is the former radio play-by-play voice for the Seattle SuperSonics for KTTH-AM 770, the flagship station for the Sonics Radio Network...
and Bob Ortegel
Bob Ortegel
Robert Frank Ortegel was the color commentator for Dallas Mavericks television broadcasts. Ortegel had previously been head coach for Drake University's men's basketball team, leading the team to its most recent appearance in the NIT in 1981...
. For the 2005-06 NBA season
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
, Blackman returned to the Mavericks' bench, serving his first season as a full-fledged assistant coach. In July 2006 he was promoted to the position of Director of Player Development.
In August 2010, Blackman was hired on as an assistant coach by Turkey head coach Bogdan Tanjevic
Bogdan Tanjevic
Bogdan Tanjević is an ex-Yugoslav, naturalized Italian, Bosnian, and Turkish basketball coach last managed Turkish national basketball team between 2004-10 and Fenerbahçe Ülker between 2007-10...
in advance of the 2010 FIBA World Championship
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
tournament. Blackman stated that he took the job specifically to work again with Tanjevic, who had been his coach in Milan.
During the 2006 NBA Finals
2006 NBA Finals
The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005–06 National Basketball Association season. The Miami Heat won the championship in six games over the Dallas Mavericks, winning the final game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and becoming the third team to win a championship...
, Blackman's former coach with the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
, admitted, publicly for the first time, that sitting Rolando Blackman in favor of John Starks
John Starks (basketball)
John Levell Starks is a former American professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career...
during Games 6 and 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals
1994 NBA Finals
The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1993–94 National Basketball Association season, featuring the Western Conference's Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference's New York Knicks....
was the biggest coaching mistake in his career and that he has never forgiven himself for it.
Personal life
He has four children and resides in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
Blackman is on the Board of Directors of the Assist Youth Foundation. The foundation's goal is to advance opportunities for underprivileged kids in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
and across the globe.
Blackman is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
fraternity. Blackman continues to contribute to his chapter, Beta Psi, as well as the Kansas State University community.