Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Martin Lewis was a versatile NBA wing whose athleticism, rebounding, and defensive energy earned him a role with the Houston Rockets during the early 1980s after a standout collegiate career at Butler. His player profile highlights a hardworking forward, transition contributor, and complementary role player valued for toughness, hustle, and positional versatility.

Here is the detailed profile of Martin Lewis:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Martin Lewis
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born on April 28, 1975
  • Hometown: Liberal, Kansas, USA
  • Height: 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 meters)
  • Weight: 210 pounds (95 kg) during his playing career
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 6 inches
  • Shoe Size: Size 14 (US)
  • Number: 20
  • Position: Shooting guard / Small forward
  • High School: Liberal High School (Liberal, Kansas)
  • College: Butler Community College (Kansas) / Seward County Community College (Kansas)
  • NBA Draft: 1995, 2nd round, 50th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors
  • Teams Played For:
    • Toronto Raptors (1995–1996)
    • Minnesota Timberwolves (1996–1997)
    • Played in various international leagues and minor leagues post-NBA
  • Championship Rings: None
  • Kids: Information about his children is not widely publicized
  • Siblings: Information about his siblings is not widely available

Player Archetype / Play Style

Martin Lewis’s player archetype was that of an athletic wing scorer who projected as a slashing, complementary forward rather than a primary creator. Defensively, he fit best in a support role on the perimeter, using his size and mobility to check wings and play with effort rather than acting as a true shutdown stopper. Offensively, his game leaned toward straight-line drives, transition finishing, and opportunistic scoring, with only limited evidence of advanced shot creation or playmaking at the NBA level. Physically, Lewis brought solid wing size at 6-foot-6 and around 210 to 225 pounds, giving him the frame to absorb contact and compete between shooting guard and small forward. In summary, he played as a strong-built, athletic swingman whose style was built more on movement, energy, and finishing chances than on high-level ballhandling or offensive orchestration. (Basketball Reference)

Scouting Report

Martin Lewis was the sort of forward who understood how to make himself useful without demanding the offence revolve around him. His touches were usually purposeful. If he caught the ball with an advantage, he attacked immediately; if not, he kept it moving and relocated instead of allowing the possession to stagnate. What stands out is how well he played off stronger creators. He cut decisively when defenders turned their heads, found open pockets along the baseline and timed his dives into the paint so the help defender had to choose between protecting the rim or giving up an easy pass. He could step into an open jumper when the defence collapsed, but his scoring was built more on timing and efficiency than difficult shot-making. Defensively, Lewis relied on positioning rather than gambling. He stayed connected to actions, rotated early from the weak side and used his size to contest without constantly reaching, making him dependable within a structured scheme even if explosive wings could gain a step against him in isolation. The trade-off was that he wasn’t the player you handed the ball to late in the shot clock expecting him to manufacture offence against a set defence. His handle was functional rather than creative, and prolonged one-on-one possessions generally favoured the defender. Put him beside a dynamic lead guard and an interior screener who forced rotations, though, and his value became much clearer because he consistently punished defensive mistakes without disrupting offensive flow. To me, there were shades of Dave Greenwood in the willingness to play a complementary role, while parts of his off-ball approach resembled Sidney Green when possessions called for smart movement instead of high-volume scoring. It’s easy to overlook players like Lewis because the box score rarely captures the quality of their spacing, cuts and connective decisions, but those details were often the reason an offence found its cleanest looks.

Sources:
Basketball-Reference — Martin Lewis Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
NBA.com — Martin Lewis | Forward | Toronto Raptors
Wikipedia — Martin Lewis (basketball)