Long before the Internet and long before the proliferation of ubiquitous NBA mock drafts, there was Marty Blake.
Blake scouted for NBA talent in places far and near, obvious and obscure. He listed strengths and weaknesses, and his scouting service became a must-have for NBA executives.
Blake, the Godfather of NBA Scouting, died Sunday in suburban Atlanta. He was 86.
“Marty began his lifetime of service to basketball at a time when the league was still in its infancy,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement. “His work as a general manager and then as Director of Scouting for the NBA first helped the teams to understand the value of scouting. Marty’s dedication not just to the NBA but to basketball was extraordinary and we will forever be indebted to him.”
Blake, who possessed self-deprecating humor and made fun of his limited basketball skills, began his pro basketball career with the Milwaukee Hawks in 1954 and remained with the franchise in moves to St. Louis and then Atlanta.
He had a knack for finding talent at non-traditional basketball schools and in foreign countries, long before international players became household NBA names.
In 1962, he drafted Prairie View AM’s Zelmo Beaty, who ended up playing 12 years in the NBA and ABA and made the NBA All-Star team twice and ABA All-Star game three times.
In 1970, Blake drafted Mexico’s Manuel Raga and Italy’s Dino Meneghin for the Hawks but they never played in the NBA. Still, Blake knew international talent would become a staple in the NBA.
Blake left the Hawks for a job in with ABA’s Pittsburgh Condors. After he was fired, he formed Marty Blake and Associates, a scouting firm. In 1976, the NBA named him director of scouting and he helped NBA teams sift through hundreds of basketball players listing their strengths, weaknesses and pro prospects.
Blake made sure teams knew about Jack Sikma from Illinois Wesleyan, Karl Malone from Louisiana Tech, Joe Dumars from McNeese State, Terry Porter from Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Scottie Pippen from Central Arkansas and Dennis Rodman from Southeastern Oklahoma State.
Blake also helped put two important pre-draft events on the map for other the NBA and team executives: the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and the NBA Pre-draft Combine. Both events are still held today. The Portsmouth event begins Wednesday and pre-draft combine is May 15-19.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005 honored Blake with its Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.
Blake retired two years ago and his son, Ryan, now runs the scouting firm.
He is survived by his wife, Marcia; sons Eliot and Ryan and daughter Sarah; and five grandchildren.