He was drafted ahead of future Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Julius Erving.

[1] Martin has been discussed as one of the worst first overall draft picks in NBA history, but he moved on to forge a successful corporate career.

[1] Shy and reserved as a youth, Martin was a 6-foot-11 center from Chicago, Illinois, who attended high school at De La Salle Institute.

[7] Martin had garnered attention, playing well against Bill Walton in a game between Loyola and UCLA, in 1971–72.

Martin had played similarly against Jim Chones of Marquette in their game the night before, outscoring him, 33–22, and outrebounding him 23–14.

[8][9][10] Portland Trail Blazers scout Stu Inman was in attendance for both games and took notice of Martin's strong back-to-back performances against the two premier big men in the country.

[14][15] The 1972 NBA draft may have been controversially influenced: Chones had signed with the New York Nets of the ABA.

Buffalo chose McAdoo with the pick behind Martin, while the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Julius Erving with the No.

When the Trail Blazers played at Chicago during his rookie year, McCloskey benched Martin for the entire game.

"[4] In 1974–75, under new head coach Lenny Wilkens, Martin initially saw his playing time decrease more after the Trail Blazers had selected Bill Walton as the No.

However, Martin averaged 7.0 points in 17 minutes and shot .452 from the field, when Walton missed most of the year with injuries.

Martin signed contracts with the Cleveland Cavaliers (September 1, 1977) and Chicago Bulls (August 1, 1978).

1 draft choice, getting that big zero on your back, you are a marked man,” Martin said at a National Basketball Retired Players Association event.

After his basketball career, he worked for Nike in Oregon, and an insurance company before joining UPS in the mid-1980s.

[30][27] Active in the community, besides his corporate career, Martins's board memberships and civic affiliations have included the City Club of Chicago, YMCA Mentoring Program, the African American Advisory Council of the Cook County State's Attorney's office, the Urban League of N.W.

Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, The Leverage Network and De La Salle Instite Board of Directors.