Slater Martin
5× NBA Champion | Naismith Hall of Famer | St. Louis Hawks Player-Coach
Slater Martin was born on October 22, 1925, in El Mina, Texas. He played college basketball at the University of Texas before beginning a long NBA career as a point guard.
Martin became one of the top guards of his era, winning 5 NBA championships and earning 7 NBA All-Star selections. He was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
During the 1956-1957 season, Martin briefly served as player-coach of the St. Louis Hawks. He went 5-3 before Alex Hannum took over the team.
Coach Martin passed away on October 18, 2012, at the age of 86.
- Overall Coaching Record: 5-3
Coaching Career
Slater Martin entered the 1956-1957 season as a player for the St. Louis Hawks.
After Red Holzman started the season with a 14-19 record, Martin was named the Hawks player-coach. He coached 8 games and went 5-3.
Alex Hannum then took over the team and went 15-16 for the remainder of the regular season. St. Louis finished 34-38 but won the Western Division.
The Hawks reached the 1957 NBA Finals and pushed the Boston Celtics to 7 games before losing the series. Martin remained with St. Louis as a player and helped the Hawks win the NBA championship the following season.
Notable Players Coached
- Bob Pettit
- 1958 NBA Champion
- 2× NBA MVP (1956, 1959)
- 11× NBA All-Star
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Ed Macauley
- 1958 NBA Champion
- 7× NBA All-Star
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Cliff Hagan
- 1958 NBA Champion
- 5× NBA All-Star
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame