Mark D. Blount, who was born in Yonkers, turns 40 on Monday.
Blount, a retired professional basketball player, was born Nov. 30, 1975 in Yonkers. He was a 7 feet tall, center with several teams in the National Basketball Association. Blount spent his freshman year of high school in Summerville, S.C. playing for Summerville High School. He then transferred to Oak Hill Academy. He then went to Dobbs Ferry High School 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.
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 emerged as a dependable center, putting 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.
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