SAN ANTONIO — Former San Antonio Spurs Director of Scouting, Lance Blanks, has passed away at age 56.
“Lance was a light for all those who knew him. It’s been a privilege to have called him one of my closest friends. I’m eternally grateful for all the support he has shown me throughout the years. His legacy will be carried on, not only by his family but by all those whose lives he touched for the better. You will be dearly missed, brother," NBA's Joe Dumars said in a statement.
Blanks joined the Spurs in 2000 as a scout and served as the team's television analyst during the 2004-2005 season.
He was drafted by the Pistons in 1990 and spent many years with the NBA's Basketball Without Borders in Africa, South America, and Europe, investing in players from underserved areas with a passion for the sport. He was also involved with the Nigerian National Team in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
“My dad was my person. He was my teacher, my idol, my best friend. The love I have for him is simply immeasurable. He carried his family and friends on his selfless shoulders and he was the wisest man I’ll ever know. The path ahead is dark without him but he once told me that he trusted my sister and me to carry the torch of our family’s legacy. And we will," his daughter, Riley Blanks Reed, said in a statement.
Blanks played at the University of Texas at Austin from 1988-90 and is a native of Del Rio, Texas.
Please check Riley Blanks Reed’s Facebook in the coming days for the latest details regarding Lance’s celebration of life.
Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursZone