It seems like the premise for a feature film: a North Philadelphia kid plays basketball for a Division III university and earns a spot with the larger-than-life Harlem Globetrotters. For Mark Blount, this is his new reality, and he still pinches himself daily to make sure it’s not a dream.

For the past six years, Blount played for the Globetrotters’ opponents, the All-Stars (formerly the Washington Generals). On June 6, 2021, he was promoted to the Globetrotter roster, joining a list of legendary players like Meadowlark Lemon, Curly Neal and Wilt Chamberlain.