Marty Blake facts for kids

Marty Blake (born March 22, 1927 – died April 7, 2013) was a very important person in professional basketball. He was a general manager for the Atlanta Hawks team. Later, he became the NBA's top scout, helping teams find amazing new players. He even received a special award called the John Bunn Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Marty Blake's Early Life and Career

Marty Blake was born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1927. His parents were immigrants from Russia. After World War II, he served in the US Army. He then went to Wilkes College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Blake started his career by promoting local sports events. He organized boxing matches, stock car races, and baseball games. Later, he worked for professional baseball and football teams. He also helped create the Continental Basketball Association, which was a basketball league.

Leading the Atlanta Hawks to Success

In 1954, Marty Blake became the general manager of the Hawks basketball team. At that time, the team was based in Milwaukee. From 1954 to 1970, Blake guided the Hawks to many victories.

Under his leadership, the team won seven division titles. They also won one NBA championship in 1958. Blake was very good at finding talented players. One of his best choices was Lenny Wilkens. Wilkens was a point guard from Providence College. Blake saw him play in a tournament in 1960. He picked Wilkens in the 1960 NBA draft. Lenny Wilkens later became a Hall of Fame player and coach.

Drafting International Players

Marty Blake made history in the 1970 NBA draft. He was the first general manager to draft a player from a foreign league. He chose Mexico's Manuel Raga in the 10th round. Then, he picked Italy's Dino Meneghin in the 11th round.

Neither player ended up playing for the Hawks. The team could not afford to buy out their contracts. However, these draft picks were very important. They showed that the NBA could find talent from all over the world. This helped pave the way for many global players to join the NBA later on.

Becoming the NBA's Top Scout

In 1970, Blake left the Hawks. He became the president of the Pittsburgh Condors, a team in the rival American Basketball Association. After one season, he started his own basketball scouting company. It was called Marty Blake and Associates.

When the ABA-NBA merger happened in 1976, Blake got a new job. He was named the NBA Director of Scouting Services. Blake and his team were amazing at finding hidden talent. They helped discover many famous players. These included Jack Sikma, Terry Porter, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, Tim Hardaway, Ben Wallace, Karl Malone, and Joe Dumars.

Official NBA publications often called Blake the "Godfather of the NBA Draft." This was because he had a special ability. He could find skilled players even at smaller colleges.

Awards and Legacy

In 2005, Marty Blake received a very special honor. He got the Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame. This is the Hall of Fame's highest award, besides being inducted as a player or coach.

For a while, he even wrote a blog on NBA.com. It was called "On the Road with Marty Blake." Marty Blake passed away in suburban Atlanta in 2013.