Slater Martin

Slater Nelson "Dugie" Martin Jr. (October 22, 1925 – October 18, 2012) was an American professional basketball player and coach who played as a playmaking guard for eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association. Born on October 22, 1925, in Elmina, Walker County, Texas, he was raised with an early interest in basketball by his grandmother, who supported his development, learned the subtleties of the game, and conducted review sessions with him after his high school games. His father gave him the nickname "Dugan" after a character in the Maggie and Jiggs comic strip, and for years Martin did not realize his given name was actually Slater; the nickname later became "Dugie" when he went to Minneapolis to play for the Lakers.

Martin attended Jefferson Davis High School in Houston, now Northside High School, where, at 5 feet 7 inches and 130 pounds, he led the school to two state basketball championships, in 1942 and 1943, and earned All-State honors. Over his NBA career he was named an All-Star seven times and won five championships. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.