Hawks head athletic trainer Wally Blase received the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association’s (NBATA) Ed Lacerte Service Award last week in Chicago.
Named for the Celtics longtime head athletic trainer, the award is given every other year in recognition of the individual who embodies the level of commitment and service that Lacerte has given the NBATA.
Blase has served as the Hawks head athletic trainer for the past 13 seasons. He came to the Hawks in 2000 after four years as an assistant athletic trainer with the Bulls. Blase is responsible for the day-to-day health of the team, the rehabilitation of injuries and helps on the bench during games.
Blase has been a member of the NBATA for 13 years. He has served on the executive committee the last 10 and also served a two-year term as the organization’s chairman.
The organization has an charitable arm and has donated to groups such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the Boys and Girls Clubs and also funded multiple scholarships annually.
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