With Marion High School Coach James Blackmon retiring at the end of this basketball season as one of the school’s most successful coaches, the school is honoring him by naming his longtime home court after him.
Blackmon is finishing up his 13th season as head coach of the Marion Giants. He has the second highest win total, trailing only the legendary Coach Bill Green, for whom the arena is named.
His impact on Indiana basketball — which has earned him recognition in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame among many other accolades — started right here at MHS. In 2026, he still holds the No. 2 spot for all-time scoring for the Giants (topped only by his son Jalen, who overtook his mark in 2021).
As a player he was an Indiana All-Star, Parade All-American, USA Today All-American, McDonald’s All-American, and helped lead the 1980 and 1983 teams to the state Final Four. His jersey number, 24, is retired at Marion High School in his honor. As a coach, he led the Giants to their eighth boys basketball state championship in 2016, tying for the most titles in state history. His coaching record at Marion also includes five sectional championships, two regional championships, and one semi-state championship.
In recognition of his prominent place in the history of Marion Giants basketball, one of the most successful teams in a state known for the sport, the Marion Community Schools Board of School Trustees on Feb. 10 voted to approve a request to name the playing floor at the Bill Green Arena, home of the Marion Giants, the “James Blackmon Sr. Court”.
Coach Blackmon will be honored during the last home basketball game of the season on Feb. 27. We invite the community to come out and help us celebrate, and support our Giants as they take on Fort Wayne Snider, with the varsity game set to start at 7:30 p.m. that evening.