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{{Short description|American basketball player (1966–2023)}} {{Short description|American basketball player (1966–2023)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox basketball biography {{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Lance Blanks | name = Lance Blanks
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| birth_place = ], U.S. | birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|05|03|1966|09|09}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|05|03|1966|09|09}}
| death_place = | death_place = ], Texas, U.S.
| high_school = ] (]) | high_school = ] (])
| college = | college =
* ] (1985–1987) * ] (1985–1987)
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| career_end = 1999 | career_end = 1999
| career_number = 32, 21 | career_number = 32, 21
| career_position = ] / ] | career_position = ] / ]
| years1 = {{nbay|1990|start}}–{{nbay|1991|end}} | years1 = {{nbay|1990|start}}–{{nbay|1991|end}}
| team1 = ] | team1 = ]
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==Early life== ==Early life==
Blanks was born in ],<ref name=finger_05042023/> to ], a ] player who played in the ] and ]. Lance Blanks attended ] in ], and was named ] and a third-team ] in 1985.<ref name=cavsfrontoffice/><ref>{{Cite news|first=Haskell|last=Cohen|title=Parade's All-America High School Boys Basketball Team|work=Parade|date=March 17, 1985|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/124244082/|access-date=May 8, 2023|via=]}}</ref> Blanks was born on September 9, 1966, in ],<ref name="UTAthl-obit" /><ref name=finger_05042023/> to ], a ] player who played in the ] and ]. Lance Blanks attended ] in ], and was named ] and a third-team ] in 1985.<ref name=cavsfrontoffice/><ref>{{Cite news|first=Haskell|last=Cohen|title=Parade's All-America High School Boys Basketball Team|work=Parade|date=March 17, 1985|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-news/124244082/|access-date=May 8, 2023|via=]}}</ref>


==College career== ==College career==
Blanks played collegiately at the ] and the ]. Blanks and teammates ] and ] were known as the "BMW Scoring Machine" during the 1989–90 basketball season.<ref name="texassports.com"/> That Longhorn team finished third in the ] and advanced to the ] in the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://texassports_com.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/2014/11/12/2014_15_Texas_Basketball_Fact_Book.pdf | title=2014–15 Texas Basketball Fact Book |page=91| work=texassports.com |access-date=May 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205019/http://texassports_com.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/2014/11/12/2014_15_Texas_Basketball_Fact_Book.pdf|archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref> Blanks drew strong criticism and gained many detractors for his on-court antics and unsportsmanlike, excessive celebration, such as at the Elite Eight of the 1990 tournament.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nuhn |first=Gary |date=March 24, 1990 |title=Blanks shoots, hoots & hollers for Longhorns |work=]|page=B1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news/124299475/|access-date=May 9, 2023|via=] }}</ref> Blanks played collegiately at the ] and the ]. Blanks and ] teammates ] and ] were known as the "BMW Scoring Machine" during the ].<ref name="texassports.com"/> That team finished third in the ] and advanced to the ] in the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://texassports_com.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/2014/11/12/2014_15_Texas_Basketball_Fact_Book.pdf | title=2014–15 Texas Basketball Fact Book |page=91| work=texassports.com |access-date=May 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205019/http://texassports_com.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/2014/11/12/2014_15_Texas_Basketball_Fact_Book.pdf|archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref> Blanks drew strong criticism and gained many detractors for his on-court antics and unsportsmanlike, excessive celebration, such as at the Elite Eight of the 1990 tournament.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nuhn |first=Gary |date=March 24, 1990 |title=Blanks shoots, hoots & hollers for Longhorns |work=]|page=B1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news/124299475/|access-date=May 9, 2023|via=] }}</ref>


With 1,322 points, Blanks holds the record for the highest number of points by a two-year player and is the eighth-leading scorer in University of Texas history. Blanks ended his career at Texas as the all-time leader in steals and ranked fourth in career scoring average with 20.0 points per game.<ref name="texassports.com"/> With 1,322 points, Blanks holds the record for the highest number of points by a two-year player and is the eighth-leading scorer in University of Texas history. Blanks ended his career at Texas as the all-time leader in steals and ranked fourth in career scoring average with 20.0 points per game.<ref name="texassports.com"/>
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==Post-playing career== ==Post-playing career==
From 2010 to 2013, Blanks served as the general manager of the ],<ref name=broussard_08052010/><ref></ref> a job he earned after five seasons as assistant general manager of the ].<ref name=cavsfrontoffice> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714122731/http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/front_office.html |date=July 14, 2010 }}</ref> Blanks joined the ] in 2000 as a scout and was elevated to director of scouting in September 2002.<ref name=cavsfrontoffice/> He served as the Spurs' television analyst during the ].<ref name=cavsfrontoffice/><ref></ref>


Blanks worked five seasons as assistant general manager of the ] from 2005 to 2010.<ref name=cavsfrontoffice> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714122731/http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/front_office.html |date=July 14, 2010 }}</ref> From 2010 to 2013, Blanks served as the general manager of the ].<ref name=broussard_08052010/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Suns and Blanks Part Ways |url=https://www.nba.com/suns/suns-and-blanks-part-ways |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=www.nba.com |language=en}}</ref>
Prior to joining the Cavaliers, he served as the director of scouting for the ].<ref name=cavsfrontoffice/> He joined the Spurs in 2000 as a scout and was elevated to director of scouting in September 2002.<ref name=cavsfrontoffice/> Also while in San Antonio, Blanks served as the Spurs' television analyst during the ].<ref name=cavsfrontoffice/><ref></ref>


From 2020 until his death in 2023, Blanks served as a television analyst for the Texas Longhorns on ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ufnowski |first=Amy |date=2020-11-24 |title=Longhorn Network Set to Televise 20 Texas Basketball Games During the 2020-21 Season |url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2020/11/longhorn-network-set-to-televise-20-texas-basketball-games-during-the-2020-21-season/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=ESPN Press Room U.S. |language=en-US}}</ref> From 2020 until his death in 2023, Blanks served as a television analyst for the Texas Longhorns on ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ufnowski |first=Amy |date=November 24, 2020 |title=Longhorn Network Set to Televise 20 Texas Basketball Games During the 2020-21 Season |url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2020/11/longhorn-network-set-to-televise-20-texas-basketball-games-during-the-2020-21-season/ |access-date=November 22, 2022 |website=ESPN Press Room U.S. |language=en-US}}</ref>


==Personal life== ==Personal life==
Blanks's daughter, Riley, was a four-star recruit for the ] tennis team.<ref>{{cite web|title=Raised to Shine|url=https://uvamagazine.org/articles/raised_to_shine|publisher=uvamagazine.org|access-date=February 15, 2020}}</ref> His cousin ] was an ] in ].<ref name=cavsfrontoffice/> Blanks's daughter, Riley, was a four-star recruit for the ] tennis team.<ref>{{cite web|title=Raised to Shine|url=https://uvamagazine.org/articles/raised_to_shine|publisher=uvamagazine.org|access-date=February 15, 2020}}</ref> His cousin ] was an ] in ].<ref name=cavsfrontoffice/>


In 2019, Blanks hosted a symposium on concussive injuries, ] (CTE), at the University of Texas's Center for Sports Communication & Media.<ref name=trauma/> His father suffered from ] after playing professional football for years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kvue.com/article/sports/sidney-blanks-texas-ai-nfl-oilers-patriots-dies-80/269-8a7acfb4-aca3-4bcf-94d4-3e91e26a6ed1 |title=Texas football legend Sidney Blanks dies at 80 |work=KVUE |date=2021-12-13 |accessdate=2021-12-22}}</ref> Participants at the symposium discussed the effect of football on the human brain and the symbolic importance of the sport in American life.<ref name=trauma>{{cite web|title=Head Trauma and the Future of Football|url=https://moody.utexas.edu/centers/sports-communication-media/head-trauma-and-future-football|publisher=https://Moody College of Communication|access-date=November 18, 2019}}</ref> Blanks also worked with ].<ref name=finger_05042023>{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Finger|title=Former Texas star Lance Blanks leaves legacy beyond basketball|date=May 4, 2023|work=San Antonio Express-News|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/college/article/lance-blanks-obit-texas-spurs-the-woodlands-18079835.php|access-date=May 8, 2023}}</ref> In 2019, Blanks hosted a symposium on concussive injuries, ] (CTE), at the University of Texas's Center for Sports Communication & Media.<ref name=trauma/> His father had ] after playing professional football for years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kvue.com/article/sports/sidney-blanks-texas-ai-nfl-oilers-patriots-dies-80/269-8a7acfb4-aca3-4bcf-94d4-3e91e26a6ed1 |title=Texas football legend Sidney Blanks dies at 80 |work=KVUE |date=December 13, 2021 |accessdate=December 22, 2021}}</ref> Participants at the symposium discussed the effect of football on the human brain and the symbolic importance of the sport in American life.<ref name=trauma>{{cite web|title=Head Trauma and the Future of Football|url=https://moody.utexas.edu/centers/sports-communication-media/head-trauma-and-future-football|website=moody.utexas.edu |publisher=Moody College of Communication|access-date=November 18, 2019}}</ref> Blanks also worked with ].<ref name=finger_05042023>{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Finger|title=Former Texas star Lance Blanks leaves legacy beyond basketball|date=May 4, 2023|work=San Antonio Express-News|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/college/article/lance-blanks-obit-texas-spurs-the-woodlands-18079835.php|access-date=May 8, 2023}}</ref>


Blanks died on May 3, 2023, at the age of 56.<ref name=detroitnews_05042023>{{cite web | title=Former Pistons guard Lance Blanks passes away at age 56 | website=detroitnews.com | date=May 4, 2023 | url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2023/05/04/former-pistons-guard-lance-blanks-passes-away-at-age-56/70185686007/ | access-date=May 4, 2023}}</ref> Blanks died by suicide in ], Texas, on May 3, 2023, at age 56.<ref name="UTAthl-obit">{{cite web |title=Former Men's Basketball great Lance Blanks passes away |url=https://texassports.com/news/2023/5/4/mens-basketball-former-mens-basketball-great-lance-blanks-passes-away.aspx |website=University of Texas Athletics |access-date=May 10, 2023 |language=en |date=May 4, 2023}}</ref><ref name=detroitnews_05042023>{{cite web | title=Former Pistons guard Lance Blanks passes away at age 56 | website=detroitnews.com | date=May 4, 2023 | url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2023/05/04/former-pistons-guard-lance-blanks-passes-away-at-age-56/70185686007/ | access-date=May 4, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Blanks Reed |first1=Riley |title=Remembering the man, my father Lance Blanks |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/37570607/remembering-man-my-father-lance-blanks |access-date=May 9, 2023 |work=ESPN.com |date=May 9, 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

==Career statistics==

===NBA===
{{NBA player statistics legend}}

Source<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/blankla01.html|title=Lance Blanks NBA stats|website=]|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|accessdate=12 June 2023}}</ref>

====Regular season====
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | {{nbay|1990}}
| align="left" | ]
| 38 || 0 || 5.6 || .426 || .125 || .714 || .5 || .7 || .2 || '''.1''' || 1.7
|-
| align="left" | {{nbay|1991}}
| align="left" | ]
| 43 || 0 || 4.4 || '''.455''' || '''.375''' || '''.727''' || .5 || .4 || '''.3''' || .0 || 1.5
|-
| align="left" | {{nbay|1992}}
| align="left" | ]
| '''61''' || '''2''' || '''10.5''' || .433 || .256 || .625 || '''1.1''' || '''1.2''' || '''.3''' || '''.1''' || '''2.6'''
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 142 || 2 || 7.6 || .436 || .253 || .667 || .8 || .8 || .3 || .1 || 2.0
{{S-end}}

====Playoffs====
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | ]
| align="left" | ]
| 1 || 0 || 10.0 || .500 || &ndash; || &ndash; || 1.0 || 3.0 || 3.0 || .0 || 2.0
{{S-end}}


==Notes== ==Notes==
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{{Phoenix Suns general manager navbox}} {{Phoenix Suns general manager navbox}}
{{1990 NBA Draft}} {{1990 NBA draft}}


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Latest revision as of 19:05, 29 December 2024

American basketball player (1966–2023)

Lance Blanks
Personal information
Born(1966-09-09)September 9, 1966
Del Rio, Texas, U.S.
DiedMay 3, 2023(2023-05-03) (aged 56)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolMcCullough (The Woodlands, Texas)
College
NBA draft1990: 1st round, 26th overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career1990–1999
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
Number32, 21
Career history
1990–1992Detroit Pistons
1992–1993Minnesota Timberwolves
1993Quad City Thunder
1993–1994Oklahoma City Cavalry
1994–1995Gießen 46ers
1997–1998Albacomp Fehérvár
1998–1999Keravnos
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points289 (2.0 ppg)
Rebounds110 (0.8 rpg)
Assists117 (0.8 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Lance Blanks (September 9, 1966 – May 3, 2023) was an American professional basketball player and executive who worked as an analyst for ESPN. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. Blanks also spent several seasons playing in Europe. Blanks worked as the general manager of the Phoenix Suns from 2010 to 2013.

Early life

Blanks was born on September 9, 1966, in Del Rio, Texas, to Sid Blanks, a football player who played in the American Football League and National Football League. Lance Blanks attended McCullough High School in The Woodlands, Texas, and was named Texas Mr. Basketball and a third-team Parade All-American in 1985.

College career

Blanks played collegiately at the University of Virginia and the University of Texas at Austin. Blanks and Texas Longhorns teammates Travis Mays and Joey Wright were known as the "BMW Scoring Machine" during the 1989–90 season. That team finished third in the Southwest Conference and advanced to the Elite Eight in the 1990 NCAA tournament. Blanks drew strong criticism and gained many detractors for his on-court antics and unsportsmanlike, excessive celebration, such as at the Elite Eight of the 1990 tournament.

With 1,322 points, Blanks holds the record for the highest number of points by a two-year player and is the eighth-leading scorer in University of Texas history. Blanks ended his career at Texas as the all-time leader in steals and ranked fourth in career scoring average with 20.0 points per game.

Blanks was inducted into Texas Athletics' Longhorn Hall of Honor in 2007.

Pro playing career

A guard, Blanks was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft with the 26th overall pick. He had an undistinguished career as a player, playing 142 games in three NBA seasons with the Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. Afterwards, he played one season in the Continental Basketball Association and another three seasons in Europe, leading teams in Hungary and Cyprus to league titles.

Post-playing career

Blanks joined the San Antonio Spurs in 2000 as a scout and was elevated to director of scouting in September 2002. He served as the Spurs' television analyst during the 2004–05 season.

Blanks worked five seasons as assistant general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2010. From 2010 to 2013, Blanks served as the general manager of the Phoenix Suns.

From 2020 until his death in 2023, Blanks served as a television analyst for the Texas Longhorns on Longhorn Network.

Personal life

Blanks's daughter, Riley, was a four-star recruit for the University of Virginia tennis team. His cousin Larvell Blanks was an infielder in Major League Baseball.

In 2019, Blanks hosted a symposium on concussive injuries, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), at the University of Texas's Center for Sports Communication & Media. His father had Parkinson's disease after playing professional football for years. Participants at the symposium discussed the effect of football on the human brain and the symbolic importance of the sport in American life. Blanks also worked with Basketball Without Borders.

Blanks died by suicide in Dallas, Texas, on May 3, 2023, at age 56.

Career statistics

NBA

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Source

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1990–91 Detroit 38 0 5.6 .426 .125 .714 .5 .7 .2 .1 1.7
1991–92 Detroit 43 0 4.4 .455 .375 .727 .5 .4 .3 .0 1.5
1992–93 Minnesota 61 2 10.5 .433 .256 .625 1.1 1.2 .3 .1 2.6
Career 142 2 7.6 .436 .253 .667 .8 .8 .3 .1 2.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1992 Detroit 1 0 10.0 .500 – – 1.0 3.0 3.0 .0 2.0

Notes

  1. ^ "Former Men's Basketball great Lance Blanks passes away". University of Texas Athletics. May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  2. ^ Finger, Mike (May 4, 2023). "Former Texas star Lance Blanks leaves legacy beyond basketball". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  3. ^ Cavaliers: Front Office Archived July 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. Cohen, Haskell (March 17, 1985). "Parade's All-America High School Boys Basketball Team". Parade. p. 18. Retrieved May 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Longhorn legends: Basketball Hall of Honor inductee Lance Blanks". texassports.com. October 9, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  6. "2014–15 Texas Basketball Fact Book" (PDF). texassports.com. p. 91. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  7. Nuhn, Gary (March 24, 1990). "Blanks shoots, hoots & hollers for Longhorns". Dayton Daily News. p. B1. Retrieved May 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Former Pistons guard Lance Blanks passes away at age 56". detroitnews.com. May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  9. ^ Broussard, Chris (August 5, 2010). "Suns hire Lance Blanks as GM". ESPN. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  10. Cavaliers: Lance Blanks Chat Transcript
  11. "Suns and Blanks Part Ways". www.nba.com. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  12. Ufnowski, Amy (November 24, 2020). "Longhorn Network Set to Televise 20 Texas Basketball Games During the 2020-21 Season". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  13. "Raised to Shine". uvamagazine.org. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "Head Trauma and the Future of Football". moody.utexas.edu. Moody College of Communication. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  15. "Texas football legend Sidney Blanks dies at 80". KVUE. December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  16. Blanks Reed, Riley (May 9, 2023). "Remembering the man, my father Lance Blanks". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  17. "Lance Blanks NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 12, 2023.

External links

Phoenix Suns general managers

# denotes interim general manager

1990 NBA draft
First round
Second round
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