Head Athletic Trainer
 Wally Blase
Colleges: Winona State University (B.S.)
Syracuse University (M.S.)
Years in NBA: 13 |
NBA.com Bio
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Wally Blase begins his 13th season with the Atlanta Hawks as the team's Head Athletic Trainer. He is responsible for the day-to-day health of the team, the evaluation and rehabilitation therapy of athletic injuries, and the supervision of the Hawks Sports Medicine staff.
Blase came to the Hawks organization in 2000 after four years as the assistant athletic trainer with the Chicago Bulls, during which he was part of two NBA championships. As the Bulls assistant, he was actively involved with assisting the head athletic trainer with all aspects of the team's medical needs, including the prevention, care, and rehabilitation of the athletes.
He is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and is a certified Performance Enhancement Specialist, through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Blase is a member of the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA), where he has served on the executive committee for the past three years. In 2005, the Southeast Athletic Trainers Association (SEATA) named Blase the Professional Athletic Trainer of the Year. Currently, he is serving as the chairman of the NBATA.
A native of Niles, Illinois, Blase has done several internships in the athletic training department of the NFL's Chicago Bears (the summers of 1994, '96 and '98). He also spent time as the head athletic trainer with the Cincinnati Rockers arena football team (1993). Additionally, Blase also served as the Athletic Trainer for the NBA’s Eastern Conference All-Star team in 2003, when the game was held at Philips Arena.
Blase spent three seasons as a student athletic trainer at Winona State University, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in sports medicine in 1992. In 1996, he earned his masters in sports psychology from Syracuse University while serving two years as a graduate assistant trainer.
Born June 4, 1970 in Niles, Illinois, Blase his wife Kristine and daughter Audrey reside in Smyrna.
Assistant Athletic Trainer
Pete Radulovic, Assistant Athletic Trainer and Head Strength & Conditioning Coordinator