The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas to retire Slater Martin's No. 15 jersey during Kansas State game
01.29.2009 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas -- The University of Texas will retire the No. 15 jersey of Slater Martin in a halftime ceremony during this Saturday's home game (Jan. 31) against Kansas State at the Frank Erwin Center. Martin, a four-year letterwinner for the Longhorns (1944, '47-49), will become just the second UT basketball player in the 103-year history of the program to have his jersey retired. T.J. Ford, the 2003 National Player of the Year, had his No. 11 retired on Feb. 8, 2004.
Martin (born Oct. 22, 1925) led Texas to a 63-14 mark from 1947-49, including a third-place finish at the NCAA Tournament during his sophomore season in 1946-47. He actually enrolled at UT in the fall of 1943 and played four games as a freshman on the varsity squad. Martin went into military service following a 77-40 home win against Texas A&M on Jan. 15, 1944.
Martin rejoined the Longhorns for the 1946-47 Final Four run. He earned third-team All-America honors from both the Helms Foundation and True Magazine as a junior in 1947-48. Martin garnered first-team All-America honors from the Helms Foundation and second-team All-America mention from Look Magazine during his senior year in 1948-49. In his next-to-last game at Texas, he set a school single-game record with 49 points in an 81-60 win against TCU on Feb. 26, 1949. During his collegiate career, he played in 78 games and broke UT's all-time scoring mark with 984 points.
Following his time at Texas, Martin began an 11-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Minneapolis Lakers (1949-50 to 1955-56) and the St. Louis Hawks (1956-57 to 1959-60). The 5-10 guard established a reputation as one of the top defensive players in the league. He led his teams to five World Championships and reached the NBA Finals three additional times.
Martin earned All-NBA honors seven times and is still considered one of the greatest small men ever to play the game. He was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1962. In 1981, Martin became the first and only University of Texas player to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.
No. 11/12 Texas (15-4, 4-1 Big 12) returns to the court, when it hosts Kansas State on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tip is set for 3 p.m. Central at the Erwin Center. The game will be televised regionally by the Big 12 TV Network. For a complete listing of affiliate stations carrying the game, please visit TexasSports.com.