Well, it’s a question if NBA fandom still remembers the former shooting guard, Rolando Blackman.
During his 13 years long career in the industry, he devoted his years to the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks.
He had established himself as one of the best outside shooters in the league’s history throughout his journey.
After his retirement, the basketballer also featured for teams like AEK Athens, Olimpia Milano, and CSP Limoges.
Additionally, he has always been linked with the industry, either one way or another. Even after his retirement, he involved himself in the games as a coach or an assistant coach.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Rolando Antonio Blackman |
| Date of Birth | February 26, 1959 |
| Birth Place | Panama City, Panama |
| Nick Name | None |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | Panamanian / American |
| Ethnicity | Unknown |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Age | 65 years old |
| Height | 6’6″(1.98 meters) |
| Weight | 190 lb(86 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Slim |
| Father’s Name | Name unknown |
| Mother’s Name | Name unknown |
| Siblings | Name unknown |
| Education | William E. Grady CTE High School Kansas State University |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Tamara |
| Kids | Four children; Valerie Blackman, Brittany Blackman, Briana Blackman, and Vernell Blackman |
| Profession | Basketball player |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Affiliations |
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| Active Years | 1981-1994 |
| Net Worth | $5.5 million |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Sports Illustrated 1981, Autographed Basketball Card |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Rolando Blackman | Early Life, Family, and Education
Rolando Antonio Blackman was born on February 26, 1959, in Panama City, Panama. Unfortunately, Blackman is quite private with life and hasn’t revealed any information regarding his childhood, parents, and more.
As a matter of fact, Blackman moved to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of eight alongside his family. Thus, he grew up in that location for most of his childhood.
Advancing his academics, Blackman initially attended the William E. Grady CTE High School. Like every athlete, he started playing basketball in his early days.
Rolando Blackman | Basketball Career
College
After high school graduation, Blackman enrolled at Kansas State University. During his tenure, he played under coach Jack Hartman.
He was already asked to play in the Summer Olympics basketball team, the NCAA tournament, and the Big Eight Conference until his senior years.
However, he couldn’t attend the summer Olympics because of the U.S. Olympic boycott. As for his NCAA Tournament, he did play against the University of San Francisco, Oregon State, and North Carolina.
Additionally, for the Big Eight Conference, Blackman bagged the AP all-time All-Big Eight basketball team.
College Stats
| Year | G | PTS | TRB | AST | FG% |
| Career | 121 | 15.2 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 51.7 |
NBA Career
After graduating college, Rolando Blackman entered the 1981 NBA Draft. Dallas Mavericks drafted him the 9th overall in the first round back then.
Therefore, he became the foremost Panamanian-born player in the NBA. Besides that, his defense was commendable and is what made him distinct throughout his career.
Dallas Mavericks
Blackman spent more than a decade with the Dallas Mavericks and gave an amazing start for the team with 13.3 points per average. Furthermore, even as a rookie, he featured a good amount of time with an average of 24 minutes per game.
Following it, Blackman had his career-high 22.4 points per average and even appeared in the team’s foremost playoff games. During his tenure with the team, he claimed the NBA All Star game four times.
Additionally, he also appeared in the franchise’s first Conference Finals appearance in its history. Altogether, Blackman ended his tenure with the team in 1992, and by then, he had posted 6,487 field goals with 16,643 points in 865 games.
Apparently, his record stuck with the team as the highest for 18 years until March 8, 2008.
New York Knicks
Following it, Dallas Mavericks traded Blackman to the New York Knicks on June 24, 1992. Indeed, his tenure with the team was short-lived for just two years.
His best performance was titled in the 1993 Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Charlotte Hornets alongside the team. Later, the team waived Blackman on July 6, 1994.
Rolando Blackman | Retirement and Time in Europe
The same year, Rolando Blackman retired from the league. Back then, he has totaled career points of 17,623 points, 3,278 rebounds, and 2,981 assists.
Later, he signed a deal to play with the Greek League team AEK Athens BC, where he starred under coach Vlade Đurović. Likewise, he also played for the Olimpia Milano and played under the head coach Bogdan Tanjević.
Similarly, he played for many Italian teams like Dejan Bodiroga, Gregor Fučka, Nando Gentile, Limoges CSP, and Alessandro De Pol.
During his gameplay, Rolando bagged the Italian League title and the Italian Basketball Cup. Additionally, he also claimed the MVP of the Italian Cup series.
Coaching
Apart from being a player, Rolando Blackman indulged himself as a coach the defensive coordinator in 2000. Back then, he worked with the Mavericks under coach Don Nelson.
Afterward, he starred in the German National team as an assistant coach. Additionally, he contributed to the team’s bronze medal at the 2002 World Basketball Championships in Indianapolis.
In the meantime, he also worked as an analyst for the Mavericks alongside Matt Pinto and Bob Ortegel. Later in 2005, he was back to being the coach, and by 2006, he was promoted to the Director of Player Development.
After serving years on the team, he moved to work with the Turkey national basketball team. During his tenure, he worked under head coach Bogdan Tanjevic.
Here, Blackman also stated that he worked for the team only to work alongside Bogdan Tanjevic.
Rolando Blackman | Achievements
Overall the years of hard work and determination in the field have bought him fame alongside feats. Looking back to his days, Blackman featured himself as NBA’s all-time scoring leader among Hispanic/Latin players until 2015.
Furthermore, on March 11, 2000, his 22 number jersey in the Dallas Mavericks was later announced as retired. Well, it’s not the only noteworthy achievement.
Back as a Kansas State player, he featured in jersey number 25. On February 17, 2007, Kansas State retired his jersey at halftime during a game against Iowa State.
Besides, in 2015, he was also inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
By the end of his Kansas State tenure, Blackman had maintained a .517 field goal percentage and a .717 free throw percentage.
In the meantime, he also had 1,844 career points, which was the second-highest total in Kansas State history.
Overall, Blackman has influenced the ground so much that his former coach from the New York Knicks, Pat Riley, had opened up about it.
In fact, he stated that his biggest career mistake was to choose John Starks instead of Rolando Blackman during Games 6 and 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals.
Anyways, some of his achievements and highlights are listed below.
- Italian League champion (1996)
- Italian Cup champion (1996)
- Four-times named to the NBA All Star game (1985–1987, 1990)
- Third-team All-American – NABC (1981)
- Third-team All-American – AP (1980)
- Big Eight Conference Player of the Year – 1980
- 3× First-team All-Big Eight (1979–1981)
- Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year
Rolando Blackman | Net Worth and Career Earnings
At present, the former basketball player Rolando Blackman is estimated to have a net worth of around $5.5 million. Additionally, he is reported to have total career earnings of $15,567,990.
Furthermore, Blackman is on the Board of Directors of the Assist Youth Foundation.
Apparently, they work together to better the underprivileged kids in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and across the globe.
Moreover, Blackman is also a part of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
If you are interested in Rolando Blackman’s sporting cards, do check and follow the link!
Rolando Blackman | Personal Life, Wife, and Kids
Blackman leads a healthy and lavish life, yet the private one. Indeed, he hasn’t opened up much about his family, children, and wife.
According to the sources, his wife’s name is Tamara, and the duo shares four children; Valerie Blackman, Brittany Blackman, Briana Blackman, and Vernell Blackman.
What’s between Nathaniel Jones and Rolando Blackman?
Back in 2013, Nathaniel Jones sued Rolando Blackman and David K. Mureeba, a professional engineer, in Dallas County Court. According to Jones, former Dallas Mavericks star Rolando Blackman cost him $150,000 in an African gold venture.
Additionally, he stated that Rolando had asked him to invest in Africa Power & Energy Uganda Ltd., of which Mureeba is its president and CEO. During the agreement, Jones stated that they had guaranteed him the 4 percent return on net proceeds from the sale.
As per him, they later stated that the company was complicated Mureeba had moved on from it. Therewith, when he asked them for the official accounting and the return of his money, they never responded.
Altogether, Jones sued them with punitive damages for fraud, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. However, Mureeba responded to his lawsuit to be “a malicious, frivolous and criminal act by Jones.”
Social Media Presence
Adding to it, Blackman is also not an avid user of social media platforms. However, you can find him on Instagram as Rolando Blackman (@rolandoblackman22), with 1,011 followers.
Likewise, he is on Twitter as Rolando Blackman (@BlackmanRolando), with 118 followers.
Rolando Blackman | FAQs
What are Rolando Blackman’s statistics?
Rolando Blackman has career statistics of 17,623 (18.0 ppg), 3,278 (3.3 rpg), and 2,981 (3.0 apg).
What is Rolando Blackman’s 2013 Panini Prizm Prizms Red White and Blue Mosaic #203 card value?
As of now, the card value is $2.44.
What is Rolando Blackman’s jersey number?
Rolando Blackman features in jersey number 22 for the Dallas Mavericks and number 20 for the New York Knicks.
