31 Facts About Rick Mount

Richard Carl Mount was born on January 5,1947 and is an American former professional basketball player who played for Purdue University from 1966 to 1970 as well as the American Basketball Association.

Rick Mount played basketball at Lebanon Senior High School in Lebanon, Indiana, during which time he became the first high school boy representing a team sport to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Rick Mount's father, Pete, was an avid basketball player who intended Rick to learn the game as well.

Rick Mount cut out the bottom of a peanut can so Rick could shoot tennis balls through it.

Rick "the Rocket" Mount attended Lebanon High School in Lebanon, Indiana.

On February 14,1966, Rick Mount appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which featured him standing in front of a barn located in Boone County, Indiana.

Rick Mount finished his Lebanon career with 2,595 points, at the time it was the second-highest total in Indiana high school history; as of December 2021, he is seventh.

Rick Mount scored 33 points in a scrimmage against the varsity team in front of 9,500 in attendance at Lambert Fieldhouse.

Rick Mount averaged 35 points a game while shooting 54.5 percent on the freshman squad, tallying 490 points.

Rick Mount led all scorers in the tournament with a 40.6 point average in Purdue's three games.

Rick Mount had an unusual knack for telling if a goal wasn't balanced.

Rick Mount twice had officials adjust the same goal prior to the NCAA Finals game at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.

Rick Mount went through the same situation earlier in the season before a game at Iowa.

Rick Mount shot 51.5 percent on the season, whereas well-known scorers such as Pete Maravich and Calvin Murphy shot no better than 46 percent.

Rick Mount was selected as a First Team All-American and the Big Ten Player Of The Year.

Rick Mount left Purdue as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,323 points throughout only three varsity seasons.

Rick Mount scored in double figures for 72 consecutive games while scoring 30-plus points in 46 of those games: both remain school records.

Rick Mount broke numerous Purdue scoring records that were held by Dave Schellhase and Terry Dischinger.

Rick Mount never received a national player of the year award.

Rick Mount finished behind UCLA's Lew Alcindor and LSU's Pete Maravich.

Rick Mount was considered an excellent pro prospect, but because the general managers of the NBA knew that Rick Mount was already signed by the ABA, he was not drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers until the middle of the eighth round of the 1970 NBA draft.

However, Rick Mount was drafted in the ABA by the Indiana Pacers as the first overall pick in 1970.

Rick Mount declined the offer because he personally preferred Chuck Taylors of the Converse brand.

Rick Mount averaged 2.9 assists and 14.2 points a game, racking up 57 three-pointers in his second season as a Pacer.

Rick Mount spent the last season of his ABA and professional basketball career playing for the Memphis Sounds.

Rick Mount averaged a career season-high scoring average of 17.1 points a game.

Rick Mount was among the top of the league in three-point shooting during the time he spent in the ABA, while averaging 11.8 points a game and a career total of 3,330 points.

Rick Mount was a fine free throw shooter with 82 percent accuracy.

Rick Mount shot 31.7 percent beyond the arc and held a 43.3 field goal percentage in his five seasons in the ABA.

Rick Mount left college 10 credits shy of his degree; that decision later affected his opportunity to be a head coach at an Indiana high school.

In 2016, Rick Mount gave an interview to the Indianapolis Star where he discussed his career and his public perception.