LEICESTER’S BLOUNT, WINDLESS CALL TIME

By Mark Woods
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Updated: April 21, 2011

Leicester Riders point guard J R Blount has announced his retirement, following team-mate Tony Windless out of the playing ranks.

Blount will become an assistant coach at St Leo’s University in Florida, a Division II college where the former Birmingham Bullets head coach Lance Randall is in charge.

The23-year-old averaged 20.6 points this season, fifth overall in the BBL, and was second in assists with 4.9 per game.

Prior to arriving in Leicester, he was a four-year starter at Loyola University, before joining Riders for his rookie professional season.

“I had a great time at Leicester, and would have liked to have returned,” said Blount.

“The fans have been great to me, and my time with the Riders was a great experience. But this opportunity looks too good to miss.”

Riders head coach Rob Paternostro played for Randall while he was at Birmingham and backed Blount’s choice.

“Lance is a very good coach, and so it will be a good position for J R,” he said.

“I knew from his whole approach that J R was bound for the coaching ranks. I guess we would have liked his opportunity to have come just a little later, from a Riders perspective.”

It is the second retirement from Leicester’s ranks after BBL veteran Windless confirmed he is bringing his long career to a close at the age of 41.

The popular American-born forward played all but two of his 16 professional seasons in Britain after debuting with London Towers in 1994.