Basketball community mourns passing of Garreth Blount
RIP: Garreth Blount Junior pictured with his brother Jordan Blount. Pic: Cork County Basketball Board.
The Irish basketball community is in mourning after the passing of popular Cork figure Garreth Blount.
Blount (22) passed away after battling a cancer diagnosis, and will be remembered as a huge figure in local basketball, and beyond.
Garreth is the younger brother of Neptune and Ireland basketball star, Jordan, and son of former coach and referee Gary Sr, who passed away in 2020.
The 22-year-old kept up his involvement in the sport right until his passing, proven by his presence in Dublin as part of the Glanmire BC setup that contested the Intermediate Cup final last weekend.
Basketball Ireland confirmed his passing on Friday, saying: "Everyone at Basketball Ireland would like to extend our deepest condolences to Jordan and the Blount family on the passing of Garreth Blount. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis."
He began 2022 teaching and coaching in Spain, but prior to coaching, he played underage with Ballincollig before plying his trade across the water in England. Blount always found time for others; running camps in disadvantaged areas and coaching in local schools.
The Blount family set up a GoFundMe page in November in an effort to prolong Garreth's life, and in a December interview with this paper, his brother Jordan described how he was determined to help Garreth as much as he possibly could.
"Possibly the only regret I have in my life or career is that I wasn’t there by my dad’s side when he passed away two years ago. When Garreth was diagnosed, it was about creating a situation whereby I could still do everything I wanted to on a basketball floor yet also be there for my family.”
