by by Cary Rosenbaum
Native basketball fans everywhere have a new NBA hopeful. But it’s a name we all should remember well.
Luke Martinez (Chippewa) re-emerged on the basketball scene in the NBA Development League this year for the Reno Bighorns and made the most of about a half-season of play.
The 6-4 Martinez preceded both of last year’s big name players Bronson Koenig and Ron Baker as a star for Wyoming.
In his senior season of 2012, he was the sharpshooter guiding the Cowboys to a 12-0 start when he was suddenly dropped from the team after a bar fight resulted in his arrest.
Since then, he’s been playing in the Mexican professional league, averaging double-digit scoring. He tried out for the Bighorns back in 2015, but didn’t make the cut. The Bighorns, the D-league affiliate of the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise, were contending for a playoff spot when they brought in Martinez on March 8 with just 11 games remaining. With little time to prove his worth – Martinez averaged about 6 minutes per game – he had a couple of standout games with limited playing time, scoring 14 and 10 points in wins that helped propel the team (33-17) to the playoffs.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Martinez could one day wind up in the NBA. Bighorns starting point guard David Stockton was called up to Kings last season. If he’s able to perform at the level he did in college, where he set records for three pointers, he might just be in line for a shot.
Regardless, his turnaround from being dropped from college basketball to on the doorstep of the pros will serve as an inspirational success story for generations to come.
Reno would be smart if they keep Luke! He is one of the most dedicated players they will have on their team