Steve Blake
A steady, heady point guard who carved out a 13-year NBA career by being the ultimate reliable teammate and floor general for nine different franchises.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American basketball player·Birthday: February 26·Generation X
Biography
Steve Blake emerged from the University of Maryland's 2002 national championship team not as a flashy star, but as a coach's dream: a pure point guard with a high basketball IQ. Drafted in the second round by Washington in 2003, he embarked on a journeyman career defined by adaptability and professionalism. Blake was the connective tissue for teams, a player who could step in, run the offense without mistakes, and hit timely outside shots. His three separate tours with the Portland Trail Blazers spoke to his valued presence. While never an All-Star, his longevity was a testament to his understanding of the game, making him a trusted veteran on contenders like the Lakers and Warriors, often tasked with settling frenetic units with his calm demeanor.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Steve was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the NCAA National Championship as the starting point guard for the Maryland Terrapins in 2002.
- Played 13 seasons in the NBA, appearing in 870 regular-season games for nine different teams.
- Recorded a career-high 14.0 points and 7.6 assists per game during the 2005-06 season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
- Led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio during the 2008-09 season.
Did You Know?
He and his Maryland teammate Juan Dixon are the only players in school history with over 1,000 points, 750 assists, and 200 steals.
Blake once recorded a triple-double in an NBA game with points, rebounds, and assists, all while coming off the bench.
He was traded mid-season from the Lakers to the Warriors in 2014 for guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks.
“My job is to get the ball to the scorers in the right spot at the right time.”
