Rick Mount Biography Richard Carl Mount born January 5, 1947 is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played for Purdue University from 1966 to 1970 and later in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Mount’s basketball journey began at Lebanon Senior High School in Lebanon, Indiana, where he made history by becoming the first high school athlete in a team sport to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Rick Mount Biography
From 1967 to 1970, Rick Mount established one of the most impressive scoring careers in Purdue history. After spending his freshman year on the junior varsity team, Mount scored 2,323 points over his next three seasons, averaging 32.3 points per game. His standout 1968-69 season helped lead the Boilermakers to a Big Ten title, their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, and a spot in the national championship game. Mount earned consensus All-America honors that year. As a senior, he repeated as a consensus All-American, setting a league record by averaging 35.4 points per game. A three-time All-Big Ten first-team selection, Mount was selected first overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 1970 ABA Draft and went on to play five seasons in the professional league.
Richard Carl Mount is an American former professional basketball player who played for Purdue University from 1966 to 1970 as well as the American Basketball Association.
Born: 5 January 1947 (age 78 years), Lebanon, Indiana, United States
Rick Mount’s father, Pete, was passionate about basketball and encouraged Rick to learn the game. He even fashioned a basketball hoop using the bottom of a peanut can so Rick could practice shooting tennis balls. Rick first played with an official basketball hoop in fourth grade, quickly earning a reputation for beating older players. However, when it came time to try out for the school basketball team, he struggled with making a left-hand layup, a requirement for the roster. After hours of practice that evening, he perfected the move and made the team the following day.
High School Career
Rick, nicknamed “The Rocket,” attended Lebanon High School in Indiana, where he became a standout player, leading his team with an average of 33.1 points per game during his junior and senior seasons. His performance gained national attention, especially after a remarkable game in 1965 against Crawfordsville High School at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where he scored 57 points in front of a crowd of 10,000 spectators. The game’s success allowed the team to purchase a bus for future travels.
On February 14, 1966, Mount graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, where he was photographed in front of a barn in Boone County, Indiana. Though some mistakenly believe he was the first male high school athlete to appear on the cover, he was actually the first high school boy in a team sport to do so.
Rick Mount at a Glance
Category: Richest Athletes › NBA Players
Net Worth: $500 Thousand
Birthdate: January 5, 1947 (78 years old)
Birthplace: Lebanon, Indiana
Nationality: American
Professional Career
Rick Mount was regarded as a top professional prospect, but due to the fact that he had already signed with the ABA, NBA general managers were reluctant to draft him early. As a result, he was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the eighth round of the 1970 NBA Draft. However, Mount was picked first overall by the Indiana Pacers in the ABA Draft. His legendary status in Indiana made it inevitable that he would join the Pacers. The ABA, known for featuring the three-point line, provided Mount with an advantage, and during his first season, he was offered a $40,000 endorsement deal from Pro-Keds to wear their new suede basketball shoes.
In his second season with the Pacers, under head coach Bob “Slick” Leonard and alongside teammates like George McGinnis, Mel Daniels, and Bob Netolicky, Mount helped lead the team to the 1972 ABA Championship, defeating Rick Barry and the New York Nets. He averaged 14.2 points and 2.9 assists per game, hitting 57 three-pointers. Along with his college teammate Billy Keller and Roger Brown, Mount made the Pacers a dangerous team from beyond the arc.
After Retirement
Mount now resides in his hometown of Lebanon, Indiana, with his wife, Donna. Their son, Rich, played basketball for Purdue University for two seasons (1989–1991) before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Rich, who was also a standout player at Lebanon High School, graduated with the ninth-most points in Indiana high school history. He currently works as a police officer in Lebanon.
Mount runs “shoot camps” throughout the Midwest, where high school players take 2,500 supervised shots, focusing solely on shooting with no scrimmaging involved. He also owns Rick Mount’s Sports Shop, a hunting and fishing store, and sells the “Shoot-A-Way” basketball retrieval system to customers, including Purdue University.
Rick Mount Net Worth 2025
Rick Mount is a retired American professional basketball player with a net worth of $500 thousand. Born in Lebanon, Indiana, in January 1947, Mount stood 6’4″ and made history as the first high school athlete to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He attended Lebanon High School, where he was named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1966. Mount played college basketball at Purdue University, where he earned two Big Ten Silver Basketball awards and was a two-time consensus first-team All-American, along with being named a second-team All-American by UPI.
Rick Mount Salary 2025
Rick Mount signed a contract worth $1.5 million with the ABA, but he didn’t receive most of it.
