Martin, Slater N. ("Dugie")
Basketball
b. Oct. 22, 1925, El Mina, TX
While the great Minneapolis Laker front line of George Mikan, Jim Pollard, and Vern Mikkelsen did most of the scoring and got most of the publicity, Slater was an outstanding play-making guard and an even better defender. He once held another Hall of Fame guard, Bob Davies, scoreless.
Slater was a four-year starter at the University of Texas, beginning in the 1943-44 season. He then served in the Navy during World War II and returned to Texas in 1947. He scored 984 points in his career, once had 49 points in a game against Texas Christian, and averaged 16 points per game as a senior, when he was named to the Helms Athletic Foundation All-American team.
Nicknamed "Dugie" for his supposed resemblance to a character of that name in the Mutt and Jeff comic strip, Martin joined the Lakers in 1949. They won NBA championships in four of his first five seasons. The 5-foot-10 Martin went to the New York Knickerbockers in 1956 and was traded in mid-season to the St. Louis Hawks, who won the 1957-58 NBA title.
Martin retired in 1959. In his 10 NBA seasons, he scored 6,940 points in 681 games, an average of 10.2.