Chris Gilmartin, Former NBA Pro Scout & Director of Pro Personnel
Chris Gilmartin has an impressive resumé, to which he’s recently added "member of Noah Basketball business development and sales team." Prior to joining Noah in a business development role focused on our relationships with NBA teams, Gilmartin worked in the NBA for 25 years, where 23 of those years were spent with the Milwaukee Bucks as a video coordinator, advanced scout, assistant coach, and Director of Pro Personnel. His last two years were spent with the Minnesota Timberwolves as a pro scout.
Gilmartin’s first experience with Noah Basketball came via his relationships with Danny Grunfeld, son of former Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. Additionally, he had the opportunity to see Noah’s technology first-hand during his tenure at the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise and encounters with Noah Board Member Anthony Tolliver.
Gilmartin noted Tolliver’s excitement about Noah Basketball. The former power forward for the Timberwolves (recently traded to the Portland Blazers) is known as an elite shooter in the NBA and has to work really hard at his craft to remain relevant. After practicing with Noah’s technology, Tolliver went on the most successful shooting streak of his career, shooting 53 percent from the three for his final 15 games of the 2018 season.
Tolliver’s testimony on Noah Basketball and Grunfield’s excitement for sports technology was enough to persuade Gilmartin away from a rewarding yet taxing 24-year career with the NBA to bring his valued contacts and expertise to the Noah Basketball sales team.
“I’ve spent 25 years with the NBA and worked for two teams,” Gilmartin said. “Working for the same team for 23 years allows you to build a valuable network. I’ve worked for 11 different head coaches and six different managers. Especially in the NBA, sales are very relationship-based so I think utilizing my network will be valuable for my work at Noah.”
Among Gilmartin’s relationships, perhaps one of the most valuable is that of Tim Grgurich. Grgurich, described by others as the “Yoda” of NBA talent, is the founder of the player development movement in the NBA. Gilmartin worked with him twice in the NBA, including the time he was involved in his camp as a new assistant coach. More recently, Gilmartin and John Carter, CEO of Noah Basketball, took a trip to Vegas in early August, where teams sent about 35 young coaches (mostly assistant coaches) to lead games and instruction for about 75 first- or second-year players in the NBA to the invite-only camp.
“With shooting at an absolute premium in today’s game, I am thrilled to be joining the Noah team as our state-of-the-art shot tracking system continues to aid in the growth and development of the elite shooters that make up the NBA game,” Gilmartin said.
Our Noah Basketball team is honored and excited to have Gilmartin join the sales team and we look forward to his expertise and valued relationships taking our technology further.
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