Old Dominion University athletic director Dr. Wood Selig announced today that former Monarch basketball standout and Atlanta Hawk guard Kent Bazemore has made a generous gift to the Bernett and Blanche Mitchum Basketball Performance Center, which is expected to break ground in July. Bazemore’s donation is the largest athletic capital project gift from a former athlete in ODU history.
“We are very grateful to Kent for his generous support of the Mitchum Basketball Performance Center,” says Jena Virga, Sr. Associate Athletic Director for Development. “Kent recognizes the importance of giving back to one’s institution and also how important this facility will be for recruiting and developing future championship teams.”
Bazemore was a two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year for the Monarchs in 2011 and 2012. He completed his career at ODU with 1416 career points, which ranks him 20th all-time at ODU. He is the school’s all-time leader in career games played with 140 and second all-time in steals with 250. His senior class won 101 career games, an ODU record, which included two NCAA appearances and two back-to-back CAA titles.
“Being able to be give back to ODU, the place where I was able to grow as a basketball player and person, was always a priority of mine since I made the NBA,” says Bazemore. “I’m thankful for everything ODU has done for me while I was there and since I graduated. This practice facility will put us in position to attract elite players and win championships moving forward. Being able to have my name within the practice facility is truly a dream come true!”
A native of Kelford, N.C., Bazemore began his NBA career with Golden State, before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 19, 2014. He began his Atlanta Hawks career as a shooting guard in September 2014, earning a starting spot in the final two games of the NBA divisional playoffs against Cleveland. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds throughout the playoffs.
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