Lance Blanks facts for kids

Lance Blanks (born September 9, 1966 – died May 3, 2023) was an American professional basketball player. He also worked as a basketball executive and an analyst for ESPN. Blanks played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. He also spent several years playing basketball in Europe. Later in his career, Blanks became the general manager of the Phoenix Suns from 2010 to 2013.

Playing Basketball in College

Lance Blanks was a talented basketball player in college. In 2007, he was honored by being added to the Longhorn Hall of Honor at the University of Texas.

In 1985, Blanks was named "Mr. Basketball" for Texas, which means he was considered the best high school player in the state. He played college basketball at the University of Virginia and then at the University of Texas at Austin.

At the University of Texas, Blanks, along with his teammates Travis Mays and Joey Wright, were known as the "BMW Scoring Machine." This nickname came from their last names (Blanks, Mays, Wright) and how well they scored points together during the 1989–90 basketball season. That year, their team finished second in the Southwest Conference and made it to the Elite Eight in the 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The Elite Eight is when only eight teams are left in the national college basketball championship.

Blanks scored 1,322 points during his two years at the University of Texas. This is the most points ever scored by a player who only played for two years there. He is also the eighth-highest scorer in the history of the University of Texas. Blanks also set a record for the most steals in his career at Texas. He averaged 20.0 points per game, which puts him in fourth place for career scoring average.

Playing in the NBA

As a guard, Lance Blanks played for the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played in the NBA for three seasons.

After Playing Basketball

After his playing career, Lance Blanks moved into management roles in basketball. From 2010 to 2013, he was the general manager for the Phoenix Suns. Before that, he worked for five seasons as the assistant general manager for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Even before joining the Cavaliers, Blanks was the director of scouting for the San Antonio Spurs. He started with the Spurs in 2000 as a scout, looking for new talent. In September 2002, he was promoted to director of scouting. While in San Antonio, Blanks also worked as a television analyst for the Spurs during the 2004–05 NBA season, helping explain the games to viewers.

From 2020 until he passed away in 2023, Blanks continued to work as a television analyst. He covered the Texas Longhorns games on Longhorn Network.

Lance Blanks' Family Life

Lance Blanks came from a family of athletes. His father, Sid Blanks, was a professional football player in the AFL and NFL. Sid Blanks was also the first Black football player to play in the Lone Star Conference.

Lance's daughter, Riley Blanks, was a highly-rated tennis player who played for the University of Virginia tennis team. She is also the founder of a company called Woke Beauty.

Lance Blanks' cousin, Larvell Blanks, was also a professional athlete. He played Major League Baseball as an infielder.

Lance Blanks passed away on May 3, 2023.

Community Work and Interests

In 2019, Lance Blanks hosted a special meeting at the University of Texas. This meeting focused on concussive injuries, especially a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). His father had Parkinson's Disease, which can sometimes be linked to head injuries from playing football for many years. At the meeting, people talked about how football can affect the human brain and why the sport is so important in American culture.

Blanks also often worked with an organization called Basketball Without Borders. This program uses basketball to bring young people together and create positive social change around the world.

See also

In Spanish: Lance Blanks para niños