NBA Hall of Famer Slater Martin, a member of high school and NBA championship teams, died in Houston Thursday. He was 86 years old.
Martin won a high school state championship at Jefferson Davis High School in Houston in 1942-43. He went on to play at Texas, helping the Longhorns advance to the Final Four in 1947.
A 5'10 guard, Martin began his pro career with the Minneapolis Lakers, where, paired with NBA legends George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard, he won four of his five NBA championships.
Martin averaged 9.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in his 13-year NBA career, spanning time with the Lakers, New York Knicks and St. Louis Hawks, where he won his fifth title.
Martin was inducted to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1964, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982 and was honored by the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in August.