Slater Martin

Hall of Fame Professional Basketball Player, Coach. For eleven seasons (1949 to 1960), he played at the guard position in the National Basketball Association with the Minneapolis Lakers, New York Knicks and St. Louis Hawks. Born Slater Nelson Martin, Jr., he attended Jefferson Davis High School in Houston and following service with the United States Military during World War II, he played collegiate basketball at the University of Texas (Austin). While with the Longhorns, he made a remarkable impression on the hardwood as a key member of Texas' squad that reached the "Final Four" during the 1947 NCAA Tournament. Individually, he achieved All-American status and All-SWC honors in 1949. Signed by Minneapolis, Martin established himself as a model of the point-guard position and was a component to a legendary cast of players including George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard to form the NBA's first powerhouse franchise; he was a contributor to four league championships (1950, 1952, 1953 and 1954) with the Lakers. In 1958 along with Bob Pettit and Cliff Hagan, he lent his experience to the St. Louis Hawks with who he saw a NBA Title with in 1958. In 745 regular season games, he compiled 7,337 points and achieved All-Star status seven-times (1953 to 1959). During the 1956-1957 season, he briefly served as an interim playing-coach with St. Louis and from 1967 to 1969, he was head coach of the Houston Mavericks of the American Basketball Association. After retiring from basketball, he was the proprietor of a restaurant and bar in the Houston-area. He was named to the University of Texas Longhorns Hall of Honor in 1962, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1964 and was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. Additionally, the uniform number 15 was retired by the Longhorns.