Rolando Blackman

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Lore & Background

Blackman was born in Panama City, Panama, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, from the age of eight. He played college basketball at Kansas State University, where he was named Big Eight Conference Player of the Year and All-American in 1980. He scored 1,844 career points, the second-highest total in Kansas State history. He was selected as a starter for the 1980 Summer Olympics basketball team but did not participate due to the U.S. Olympic boycott; he received one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created for the spurned athletes. In his senior year, he led Kansas State to the West Regional final of the NCAA tournament, hitting a game-winning jumper against #1 seed Oregon State. His number 25 jersey was retired by Kansas State on February 17, 2007, and he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. Blackman was drafted by the Mavericks in the first round (9th overall) of the 1981 NBA draft, becoming the first Panamanian-born player in the NBA. He averaged a career-high 22.4 PPG in the 1983–1984 season, leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance. On February 17, 1986, he set the Mavericks single-game record for free throws made (22) and attempted (23). He was a four-time NBA All-Star. In the 1987 All-Star Game, he tied the game at the end of regulation with two free throws. The Mavericks reached the Western Conference Finals in 1987–1988, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games. Blackman scored 16,643 points with the Mavericks, a franchise record for 18 years until broken by Dirk Nowitzki on March 8, 2008. In his 865 games with the Mavericks, he never fouled out. On June 24, 1992, he was traded to the New York Knicks for a 1995 first-round pick. He spent his final two NBA seasons with the Knicks, and the team made it to the NBA Finals in 1994, losing to the Houston Rockets in seven games. One of his most notable games as a Knick was hitting the game-winning shot in Game 4 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Charlotte Hornets. On July 6, 1994, the Knicks waived Blackman. After being released, he retired from the NBA. Following the 1993–94 season, his career totals were 17,623 points, 3,278 rebounds, and 2,981 assists. He was the NBA's all-time scoring leader among Hispanic/Latin players until March 6, 2015, when Pau Gasol overtook him. His number 22 jersey was retired by the Mavericks on March 11

In Their Own Story

The atmosphere was electric during Game 4 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Charlotte Hornets. With the game on the line and only five seconds remaining on the clock, Blackman received the ball. He didn't hesitate. Rising for a jump shot, he released the ball with precision as the defense closed in. The shot dropped through the net, putting the Knicks up by two points and securing a critical victory. It was one of his most notable moments as a Knick, showcasing the clutch gene that had made him a four-time All-Star in Dallas. Though his age was finally getting to him by 1994, this moment cemented his legacy in New York before he was waived on July 6, ending his NBA career.

Reader's Guide

Rolando Blackman played for the Dallas Mavericks (1981–1992) and the New York Knicks (1992–1994). He was a four-time NBA All-Star. After his NBA career, he played professionally in Europe for AEK Athens (Greece), Olimpia Milano (Italy), and Limoges CSP (France). He later worked as a coach and executive for the Mavericks and as an assistant coach for international teams.

Did You Know?

• Blackman set the Mavericks' single-game record for free throws made (22) on February 17, 1986.
• He never fouled out in 865 games with the Mavericks.
• He was the NBA's all-time scoring leader among Hispanic/Latin players until Pau Gasol surpassed him in 2015.
• Pat Riley called sitting Blackman in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals the biggest coaching mistake of his career.