The career of Tony Parker might not have been the same without him… Lance Blanks died on Thursday at the age of 56, and his name is closely linked to TP since it was he who faced the Frenchman during his “work-out” with the Spurs before the Draft. At the time, Blanks returned from Cyprus and his NBA career was limited to three short seasons as a player, in Detroit and Minnesota. Spurs need a playmaker for this try, and Blanks had taught the little Frenchman a lesson.
But… Gregg Popovich decides to give the Frenchman a second chance, and we know the rest… A year later, Blanks was hired as a Spurs scout, and it was the start of a fine career as a manager. He will thus become assistant GM to the Cavaliers, then GM of the Suns from 2013 to 2013. We will then see him again at the Clippers, before becoming a consultant for ESPN and launching a media outlet in Texas to follow the University of Texas.
“Lance was a light to all who knew him”said Joe Dumars, one of his teammates in Detroit, and vice-president of the NBA. “I had the privilege of having him as a close friend. I am forever grateful to him for all the support he has given me over the years. His legacy will be carried on, not only by his family, but also by all those whose lives he improved.”
