Education
Loyola University Chicago.
Loyola University Chicago.
Martin was taken first overall by the National Basketball Association"s (National Basketball Association) Portland Trail Blazers in 1972, drafted ahead of future Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Julius Erving. Martin has been cited as the worst first overall draft pick in National Basketball Association history. A 6-foot-11 center out of Loyola University Chicago, LaRue Martin entered the National Basketball Association with much fanfare in 1972.
Martin set the basketball world abuzz when he outplayed Bill Walton in a game between Loyola and University of California, Los Angeles, in the midst of their storied title runs, in 1971-1972.
The Portland Trail Blazers were so impressed with Martin that they made him the first overall pick in the 1972 National Basketball Association Draft. However, Martin never caught on in the National Basketball Association, and after the Blazers drafted Walton in 1974, he never had the chance.
In his best season, Martin averaged 7.0 points per game and shot.452 from the field He notched both of those numbers during the 1974-1975 season, when Walton missed most of the year with injuries.
Over his 4-year stint, Martin totaled just over 1,400 points.
Number 2 overall pick McAdoo totaled over 1,400 points in his rookie year alone. In four seasons he averaged 5.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Martin received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology with a minor in education from Loyola.
After his basketball career, he worked for Nike and an insurance company before joining United Parcel Service in the mid-1980s.
At United Parcel Service, he has worked as the Community Services Manager since August 2005.