Blount, Just Walk Away Now

Internet chat room dartboard Mark Blount was in town eight days ago for a cameo at the National Kidney Foundation Walk at Franklin Park. The transformation this past season from a friendly, outgoing Blount to a surly, incommunicative Blount caught those of us who cover the team by surprise. He simply ceased being a civil human being. Apparently the Celtics' fin de saison and Danny Ainge's comments about improved behavior didn't register with Blount when the Globe's Shira Springer approached him at the walk for some comments on the affairs of the day. When asked about the Celtics, Blount professed not to understand why anyone would want to discuss basketball just weeks after the season ended with a Game 7 blowout loss to the Pacers in the first round. Blount plans to go through his usual summer workout regimen, which includes pickup games in Miami, with Alonzo Mourning a frequent opponent. ''I'm just going to do the same old stuff, just basketball, training, working with my coaches and that's it," Blount said. The subject of a code of conduct did not bring any more insight from Blount. ''I don't know nothing," he said. ''I'm going back home. That's it."

Blount and the National Kidney Foundation

Celtics Center Mark Blount returned to town this past weekend to join Boston Mayor Tom Menino and assist a good cause. Blount and Mayor Menino helped tip-off the annual National Kidney Foundation walk in Boston at the Franklin Park Zoo. Photo: Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com

Doc Rivers, Big Al, and Perkins at Heat-Pistons game

Did you guys notice Doc Rivers with Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins enjoying the Heat Pistons playoff game lastnight in Miami? The 2 players he picked to watch the game with does not raise my eyebrows, but its who he DIDN'T take.

Doesn't Mark Blount live in Orlando/Miami during the off season? I find it peculiar that he would not be one of the attendees. Coach and Blount must have a BAD relationship. They were supposed to spend some quality time together this summer...guess not.

Mark Blounts former coach Jim O'Brien Fired

So Jim O'Brien got fired today after just one year coaching his home town Philly Sixers. Who is Jim O'Brien? He was Mark Blounts former coach. Many will argue that he brought the most out of Blount and helped him develop his game. Anyways, he got what was coming to him. Maybe this will bring him down to earth and make him realize he ain't all that. Anyways, Maurice Cheeks, who formerly coached the Trailblazers will be named new head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Here's the scoop from ESPN:

PHILADELPHIA -- Jim O'Brien was fired Monday after only one season as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers and replaced by former star Maurice Cheeks.

Jim O'Brien's Coaching Record
Year Team W L PCT
00-01 Boston 24 24 .500
01-02 Boston 49 33 .598
02-03 Boston 44 38 .537
03-04 Boston 22 24 .478
04-05 Philly 43 39 .524
Totals 182 158 .535
Playoffs
01-02 Boston 9 7 .563
02-03 Boston 4 6 .400
04-05 Philly 1 4 .200
Totals 14 17 .452

O'Brien, a Philadelphia native who played for Saint Joseph's, went 43-39 in his only season and the Sixers were elminated in the first round of the playoffs in five games by Detroit.

He was in the first year of a four-year contract that paid him about $4 million a year. O'Brien, though, was not very popular with his players, who often complained about their roles, most notably former All-Star Chris Webber.

Cheeks was one of the most popular 76ers from 1978-89 and played on Philadelphia's last championship team, in 1983. Cheeks was fired March 2 after nearly four seasons as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He had a 162-139 record in Portland, the fourth-highest win total in Blazers history.

Cheeks will be Philadelphia's fourth coach since Larry Brown resigned and left for Detroit following the 2002-03 season. Randy Ayers was fired 52 games into the 2003-04 season and replaced by Chris Ford.

Danny Ainge gets 3 year extension

Danny Ainge, the guy that gave Mark Blount his recent contract, got a 3 year extension to remain as GM of the Boston Celtics. Terms have not yet been disclosed. There will be a press conference at 2PM on 1510 The Zone. Listen live by going here.

UPDATE: Here is the official spin on this from Celtics.com:

BOSTON, MA (May 20, 2005) - The Boston Celtics announced today that Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge has signed a three-year contract extension with the team, continuing through the 2008-2009 season. As per team policy, other terms of the agreement were not released.
"On behalf of our organization, I am pleased that Danny has signed an extension to his contract to be with us for the next several years," said Celtics Managing Partner Steve Pagliuca. "Danny is a winner and over the last two years has brought an exciting group of young, talented players to Boston, has attracted a terrific coach in Doc Rivers, and together they have delivered our first Atlantic Division championship for many years. He is committed to making the Celtics championship contenders once again."

Ainge was named to his present position on May 9, 2003.

"I am excited to continue my relationship with the Boston Celtics," Ainge remarked. "The ownership team, led by Wyc Grousbeck, Irv Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca and Bob Epstein, has been supportive and just tremendous. With the addition of Doc Rivers and his staff, I feel very comfortable with the direction of the team both on and off the court. The future of this franchise is exciting and we hope to capitalize on it starting right now."

Ainge was selected by the Celtics in the second round (31st pick overall) of the 1981 NBA Draft after a brilliant four-year career at Brigham Young University (1977-81). He spent seven-plus years with Boston helping to lead the Green and White to two world championship titles, in 1984 and 1986. He was an NBA All Star in 1988. Ainge also played for the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns during his 14-year NBA playing career.

Following his playing career, Ainge joined TNT as a color analyst before returning to the Suns as an Assistant Coach. Just eight games into the 1996-97 season, he was promoted to Head Coach and guided his team to an 40-34 record after the team started the season at 0-8. He spent the next two-plus seasons as Head Coach of the Suns and compiled an impressive 136-90 (.602) record before stepping down and returning to TNT as an analyst. In his three-plus seasons as the Phoenix Suns coach, he guided the team to three playoff berths.

Ainge has been active in Celtics community efforts off the court as well, and in many other charitable activities. He relocated his family to Boston from Phoenix upon his hiring in 2003.

Mark and Doc are going to spend some time together

Blount must win back C's
By Mark MurphyWednesday, May 18, 2005 - Updated: 07:10 AM EST
Mark Blount has nowhere to go but up this summer.

``It's up to Mark to prove to Doc (Rivers) that he can't win without him,'' Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge said yesterday of Blount, who signed a lucrative mid-level contract last summer only to fall off the map last season. ``The onus is on the player to prove himself to the coach. I expect him to play as well as he's capable of playing.''

Theories abound over the 7-foot center's decline, which culminated in benchings in the C's final three playoff games. The 29-year-old veteran had lost his passion. He had grown apart from his teammates. He never took to his new coach, Rivers. He crumbled under the pressure of the six-year, $38 million deal.

And then there was the most cynical notion - that Blount, new deal comfortably in hand, simply stopped working.
His agent, Mark Bartlestein, yesterday scoffed at the view that Blount stopped caring. He acknowledged, however, that the big guy has some fences to mend - most notably with Rivers.

``We have to work on things this summer,'' Bartlestein said. ``Mark and Doc are going to spend some time together.''
Though Rivers intends to visit all of his players this summer, Bartle-stein attached some significance to Blount's rendezvous with the coach.

Blount, according to his agent, was simply discouraged by his decreasing playing time.
``It was a tough year, no question,'' Bartlestein said. ``He lost his (playing) time, and a lot of pressure and expectations were on him. It was tough for Mark because the most important thing for him was to be able to contribute. He has a lot of pride - he cares. It was very painful for him to go through.''

But there's little time for self-pity now. Despite the crippling length of his deal - and a 15 percent trade kicker - Blount could be packaged out of town this summer.
Of all the members of Celts management, Ainge is perhaps the most understanding of Blount.
``I think that Mark wants to play really badly, and he works really hard in his offseason preparation,'' Ainge said. ``And when he doesn't play after this, it really affects him. But I'm confident that he will work extremely hard this summer.'' Indeed, Blount's work ethic may be the one trait that keeps him in Green.

``It was hard, because he wanted to contribute,'' Bartlestein said. ``But sometimes you respond by internalizing the situation. But I don't think he turned away from the team. Antoine (Walker) and Justin Reed are my clients, and they don't believe that happened with Mark. He just wants to contribute.''

Mark has to do a better job of being a teammate

Danny Ainge on Mark Blount: ''I'm not as critical as everyone else is of Mark," said Ainge. ''I don't think for a second because I saw how hard he worked after we signed that contract last year that Mark Blount tanked it on the team. Now, Mark, like so many of our guys, and they need to get better at it, when you're not getting that opportunity, it's not anyone else's fault. You've got to prove as a player that that coach can't win without you. Some players don't deal with that as well as they should. Mark has to do a better job of being a teammate, being in the huddles, being with the team. But that's hard to do sometimes, but you've got to do it."

Note to Mark Blount: What Ainge is saying is that you shouldn't sit at the end of the bench and yell out to Antoine "Hey Antoine, give me some gum". It means you should politely join the team huddle and ask for the gum in private. I wonder who Mark will bum gum off of when Antoine is gone next season?

Doc comments on Blount's 3 DNP-CD

If you missed it, here is an excerpt from Peter May's column today. He asked coach Doc Rivers to comment on Mark Blount and this is what the Celtics coach had to say:

He also can't explain Blount's disastrous, Enron-esque tumble. He said
he sat him for the last three games of the Indiana series "because I
didn't think he was effective. As soon as he came into the game, Jermaine
[O'Neal] did, too.

"Mark has to be happy to play," Rivers said. "For whatever reason, he
wasn't happy this season. He has a lot of things he has to learn; how to
be a player, how to be a teammate. You can't douse the hope. But we
need him to play better."

Can you imagine that? Mark Blount is not happy to play? Anyone should be happy just to get paid anything to play the sport they love. What is wrong with this guy? $42M not enough motivation? What else do you want?

Its obvious the Celtics will try to move Blount in the offseason, but for who? Which team would want to take on his contract and 15% kicker? The Celtics can only contribute $3M I believe, per NBA rules. Thats still a lot of money for the next team to swallow. Maybe we should give Jim O'Brien a call. Then trade Paul Pierce to the 76ers, Antoine Walker, Eric Williams, and Kenny Anderson signs as a free agents with them. 2001-2002 Celtics part deux. (Is that how you spell it)? Why the heck do Americans insist on using words from other languages in their everyday conversation?!!

Anyways, visit my other blog to read about the crazy Muscle Guy. This dude goes ape shit on me during a routine delivery last Sunday (Mother's Day).

Mark Blount trading cards surge in value

Hey, would you like a Mark Blount trading card from Topps? It'll cost you a whole nickel!



Geez, this guy gets no respect! Whats up with that? I tried calling Mark Blount for an interview for his fan site and heres how it went:

ME: Hey Mark, this is ---- calling you from MarkBlount.com and.....(interrupted)
Mark: Yo Antoine, is that you? Whats up Bro. Hey Antoine, give me some gum!
ME: No Mark, this is actually...(interrupted again)
Mark: Come'on Antoine, hook a brotha up. Give me some gum, man!
.....
........
..........

I caved and gave him the gum.

Mark Blount Jerseys and his 3rd consecutive DNP-CD

At the Celtics gift shop (Jersey counter) after the Celtics game 7 romp:
Me: Hey, you guys got any Mark Blount jerseys?
Worker: (looking bewildered)....No.
Me: What, are you sold out or just don't have any right now?
Worker: Uh, I don't think they made them this year.

So there you have it. Not only does this $42 Million player not get to play in the last 3 playoff games for the Celtics...not only does he get booed by the home town fans each time he touches the ball (BTW, I'm known as the "Oh shit! Guy" from section 312), but on top of all this, his own gift shop doesn't carry Mark Blount jerseys. Do they have any Mark Blount merchandise? I even saw a Kendrick Perkins jersey. On top of that, I just tried to find a Mark Blount jersey through Google and got nothing. Slap Slap! Mark Blount needs a hug. I'm sure he can buy one with his $42 Million big ones. Good for you Mark!

Its sad when he couldn't even get garbage minutes (and there were a lot of garbage minutes tonight). Even Justin Reed got off the bench before Mark. Every Celtic dressed played in tonights game...except Mark Blount.

Its funny, midway through the 3rd quarter the guy sitting infront of me (who also heard the Mark Blount song) said, "Don't worry, Mark Blount will come in during the 4th and drop a double - double on them". My reaction: Oh SHIT!. After all, I'm the Oh Shit guy from section 312. Mark Blount with a double - double??!!

Anyways, please share your thoughts on the game tonight and why you think Mark can't get off the pine in garbage time. The team played aweful tonight. Lots of one-on-one and lots of Paul Pierce (the individual) versus the Indiana Pacers (the team). Raef LaFrentz didn't even score. Ricky Davis took only 7 or 9 shots. And those referees!! Don't get me started on them.

All I have to say is that we need to explore a Paul Pierce trade this summer, resign Antoine Walker, and figure out the Mark Blount thing.

Please feel free to share your thoughts. Before I go, someone at the game won a worn Mark Blount practice jersey. Maybe he can trade it in for a pack of gum.

Mark Blount Song

Compliments of Miracle Johan, this is Mark Blounts song. Funny as hell, listen to the lyrics. Click here.

"Yo Antoine, give me some gum"

Mark Blount has "Career" game

It was Game 5 of the 2004 - 2005 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. Mark Blount received his first DNP in 2 or 3 years. He's played over 200 consecutive games to have this happen to him. Oh well.

Who is Mark Blount?

He is #30 and tries to play Center for the Boston Celtics. He's best known as the guy with the somewhat consistent 15' jumper from the top of the key. Mark signed a $42 Million contract this summer for 6 years with a 15% trade kicker! He is the F'ing man! Here he is in all his glory:

I'm Mark Blount and I'm a Celtic.