"Marty Blake" was a general manager of the Atlanta Hawks franchise, and the NBA's longtime Director of Scouting. He was a recipient of the Basketball Hall of Fame's John Bunn Award.

Born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1927, Blake served in the US Army at the end of World War II and attended Wilkes University/Wilkes College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He spent his early career promoting local boxing matches, stock car races, and baseball games. He later worked for several professional baseball and football teams, and helping to found the Continental Basketball Association.

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 NBA Finals/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 Basketball Hall of Fame/Hall of Fame career as a player and a coach.

More Marty Blake on Wikipedia.

He's capable of playing in the NBA. I know he's going to be playing somewhere.

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Absolutely, I can see that happening.

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The man's a great shooter. He could use a little more quickness. But what the hell, Larry Bird wasn't quick. Hoiberg has a major-league stroke.

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