Chris Blakemore

{{short description|Australian basketball player}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}

{{Use Australian English|date=February 2020}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Chris Blakemore

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| height_cm = 196

| weight_kg = 103

| career_position = Forward

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|5|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Adelaide, Australia

| high_school =

| draft_year =

| draft_round =

| draft_pick =

| draft_team =

| career_start = 1991

| career_end = 2002

| years1 = 1991–1992

| team1 = Australian Institute of Sport

| years2 = 1993

| team2 = West Adelaide Bearcats

| years3 = 1993–1995

| team3 = Adelaide 36ers

| years4 = 1996–1997

| team4 = Canberra Cannons

| years5 = 1998

| team5 = Brisbane Bullets

| years6 = 2001–2002

| team6 = Albury Wodonga Bandits

| highlights =

• NBL Most Improved Player (1994)
• NBL Rookie of the Year (1993)

}}

Chris Blakemore (born 17 May 1974) is an Australian former professional basketball player.

Blakemore was born in Adelaide and raised in Whyalla, South Australia.{{cite web |title=Chris Blakemore |url=http://aussiehoopla.com/chris-blakemore/ |website=Aussie Hoopla |access-date=24 August 2021}} He attended the Australian Institute of Sport and played for the program's South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) team from 1991 to 1992. He played for the West Adelaide Bearcats of the SA State League in 1993.{{cite web |title=Chris Blakemore |url=https://aussiehoopla.com/chris-blakemore/ |website=Aussie Hoopla |access-date=7 November 2024}} Blakemore began his professional career with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL) and was named the NBL Rookie of the Year in 1993.{{cite web |title=Remember a Whyalla giant |url=https://www.whyallabasketball.com.au/news/464-remember-a-whyalla-giant |website=Whyalla Basketball |access-date=25 February 2020 |date=4 March 2015}} Blakemore was selected for the NBL Most Improved Player Award in 1994. His performance dropped during the 1995 NBL season and culminated with an incident where Blakemore elbowed Perth Wildcats player Martin Cattalini during a game, resulting in his suspension through the playoffs.{{cite web |title=Chris Blakemore |url=http://nblonfire10.tripod.com/blakemore.html |website=NBL on Fire |access-date=25 February 2020}}

Blakemore was subsequently released by the Adelaide 36ers and he signed with the Canberra Cannons.{{cite web |title=Jordan hires 'Aussie Mike' Dunlap |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/z-redesign/archive-sport/jordan-hires-aussie-mike-dunlap/news-story/7950b6eb41ddaa7811abdef81282b3e3 |website=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=25 February 2020 |date=19 June 2012}} He was hampered by a knee injury during the 1996 season and only appeared in three games totalling five minutes. In 1998, Blakemore signed with the Brisbane Bullets for what would be his final season in the NBL.

In 2001–02, Blakemore played in the Australian Basketball Association (ABA) for the Albury Wodonga Bandits.