Slater Martin

Lore & Background

Martin was born on October 22, 1925, in Elmina, Walker County, Texas. His father gave him the nickname "Dugan" after a character in the Maggie and Jiggs comic strip; Martin did not realize his name was actually Slater for years. The nickname became "Dugie" when he went to Minneapolis to play for the Lakers. His grandmother got him interested in basketball and conducted review sessions after his high school games.

He led Jefferson Davis High School to two state championships in 1942 and 1943, winning All-State honors both years. He played college basketball at the University of Texas at Austin, serving in the Navy during World War II. He was part of the "Mighty Mice" backcourt and set UT and Southwest Conference scoring records. He was a Helms first-team All-American as a senior.

In the NBA, he was a defensive standout, often guarding the opponent's best guard. He played for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1949 to 1956, winning four championships, and for the St. Louis Hawks from 1956 to 1960, winning one more title. He was a second-team All-NBA selection in 1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, and 1957-58. He was an All-Star seven times. He retired as the oldest and smallest player in the NBA.

Reader's Guide

Martin was one of the NBA's best defensive players in the 1950s, a forerunner of the modern point guard. He focused on running the offense and playing defense. He was the one defender who posed a problem to Bob Cousy. He played under Hall of Fame coach John Kundla with the Lakers. With the Hawks, he was team captain and helped the team win the 1958 NBA championship. He averaged 9.8 points, 3,160 assists, and 2,302 rebounds over 745 games. He was in the NBA top 10 in assists six times.

Did You Know?

• Martin was the shortest player in the NBA at times, standing 5 ft 10 in.
• He once told Bob Cousy he would break his nose if Cousy dribbled behind his back again.
• Martin was the last active player from the Lakers championship teams of the early 1950s.
• His grandmother learned the subtleties of basketball to help him improve.