Pablo Torre Finds Out The Nerd Who Knew Too Much
Aug 21, 2025
In this engaging discussion, journalists Nick Altschuller and Rich Levine dive into the life of Martin Manley, a trailblazer in basketball analytics who championed the three-point shot. They uncover how Manley's obsession with efficiency not only transformed sports stats but also mirrored his personal struggles. With anecdotes ranging from quirky insights on hydration to reflections on his challenging life journey, the duo paints a vivid picture of a man who left a profound yet complicated legacy on and off the court.
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Three Is More Than Two
- Martin Manley argued decades before it was mainstream that teams should shoot more three-pointers because three is intrinsically more valuable than two.
- His clear, early framing of efficiency anticipated later analytics revolutions in basketball.
Handwritten Book And The EFF Stat
- Martin Manley handcrafted Basketball Heaven and promoted a simple EFF metric to make player value intuitive for fans.
- He wanted an iPhone-like stat every fan could carry that ranked players by basic plus-minus style “good minus bad” math.
Swaggering Cover, Big Blurbs
- The Basketball Heaven cover showed Manley confidently on a cloud in a Magic Johnson jersey and earned blurbs from Bill James.
- Despite that swagger and endorsements, the book did not translate into sustained mainstream success.
