Mark Blount

Mark D. Blount (/ˈblʌnt/ BLUNT-'; born November 30, 1975) is an American former professional basketball center with four teams in the National Basketball Association between 2000 and 2009.

Career

Blount spent his freshman year of high school in Summerville, South Carolina, playing for Summerville High School. He then transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. He then went to Dobbs Ferry High School in Dobbs Ferry for his senior year and was named Mr. Basketball for Westchester County. He played his collegiate basketball at the University of Pittsburgh before being drafted 54th overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, and spent three seasons in the minor American leagues.

He was first signed by the Boston Celtics as a free agent on August 1, 2000, and led the team with 76 blocks that season, the most by a Celtics rookie since Kevin McHale in 1980–81.

During the 2003–04 NBA season, Blount put up 10.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.29 blocks per game in 29.3 minutes per game. He had a 28-point, 21-rebound game vs. the Orlando Magic on March 1, 2004. Following the season, Blount signed a six-year, $41 million contract with the Celtics.^[1]

Off the court

When his career ended in 2010, Blount purchased investment properties in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida as well as opening Auntie Anne's franchises in the area. As of 2018, he lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and continued to invest in real estate.^[2][3] He is the author of the book My First Triple Double.^[4]

Transactions

• August 1, 2000 – Signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent.
• August 8, 2002 – Signed with the Denver Nuggets as a free agent.
• February 20, 2003 – Traded to the Boston Celtics alongside Mark Bryant for Shammond Williams and cash and draft considerations.
• On January 26, 2006, Blount, along with Ricky Davis, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed, and two conditional second-round draft picks, were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi, Dwayne Jones and a conditional first-round draft pick.^[5]
• On October 24, 2007, Blount was traded to the Miami Heat along with teammate Ricky Davis in exchange for the Heat's Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien and a first-round draft pick.^[6]
• On August 13, 2009, he was traded back to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Quentin Richardson.^[7]
• On March 1, 2010, Blount was waived by the Timberwolves.^[8]

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 64 || 50 || 17.2 || .505 || .000 || .697 || 3.6 || .5 || .6 || 1.2 || 3.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 44 || 0 || 9.4 || .421 || .000 || .811 || 1.9 || .2 || .4 || .4 || 2.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Denver | 54 || 24 || 16.4 || .393 || .000 || .717 || 3.4 || .6 || .4 || .9 || 5.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 27 || 7 || 19.2 || .563 || .000 || .750 || 4.6 || .8 || .7 || .6 || 4.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 82 || 73 || 29.3 || .566 || .000 || .719 || 7.2 || .9 || 1.0 || 1.3 || 10.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 82 || 57 || 26.0 || .529 || .000 || .713 || 4.8 || 1.6 || .4 || .8 || 9.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 39 || 25 || 27.8 || .511 || .000 || .764 || 4.2 || 1.7 || .4 || .9 || 12.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | 42 || 30 || 27.5 || .506 || .000 || .747 || 4.8 || .8 || .6 || 1.0 || 10.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 81 || 31.0 || .509 || .290 || .754 || 6.2 || .8 || .5 || .7 || 12.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami | 69 || 46 || 22.3 || .462 || .386 || .638 || 3.8 || .6 || .5 || .5 || 8.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami | 20 || 0 || 10.4 || .385 || .407 || .615 || 2.1 || .2 || .1 || .4 || 4.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 605 || 393 || 23.1 || .504 || .359 || .723 || 4.6 || .8 || .5 || .8 || 8.2

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2002 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 4 || 0 || 9.8 || .500 || .000 || 1.000 || 1.8 || .3 || .5 || .5 || 1.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2003 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 10 || 0 || 14.4 || .545 || .000 || .700 || 3.6 || .2 || 1.1 || .8 || 3.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2004 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 4 || 4 || 36.3 || .486 || .000 || .737 || 9.3 || 1.0 || 1.5 || 2.0 || 12.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 4 || 0 || 10.8 || .286 || .000 || .000 || 1.5 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 2.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 22 || 4 || 16.9 || .467 || .000 || .697 || 3.9 || .4 || .9 || .8 || 4.2

Notes

1. ^ "Settled Celtic: Blount agrees to stay in Boston". ESPN.com. 8 July 2004. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
2. ^ Evans, Kelley D. (19 January 2018). "The Next Chapter: Retired NBA player Mark Blount reinvented himself as a real estate investor". Andscape. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
3. ^ "Former NBA Player Reveals What Basketball Taught Him About Being A Businessman Based In Hobe Sound". Stuart Magazine. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
4. ^ D. Watkins (February 26, 2017). "WATCH: Success after pro sports: Former NBA player Mark Blount gives tips for entrepreneurs". Salon
5. ^ Szczerbiak, Davis change teams in seven-player trade. Updated January 27, 2006
6. ^ By trading two more veteran starters, Wolves grow even younger. Updated October 24, 2007
7. ^ "Minnesota Acquires Mark Blount from the Heat". NBA.com. 2009-08-13. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
8. ^ TIMBERWOLVES WAIVE C MARK BLOUNT

External links

• Official website
• Mark Blount Stats at ESPN