Mario is a retired NBA player and newly appointed Director of the NBPA’s Off The Court (OTC) Program. He previously played for the Atlanta Hawks and New Jersey Nets. He played college basketball for Georgia Tech. He joined the Tech squad as a walk-on in the fall of 2002, redshirted that year, and earned a scholarship the 2003-04 season when tech made it to the NCAA National Championship in 2004 losing to UConn. West departed Georgia Tech 16th on the school's all-time list for steals. He was voted team captain during the 2006-07 season. West won the 2007 NCAA State Farm Slam Dunk Contest held during the tournament's Final Four week. West was known as a hard worker and an intense defender. Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Mike Woodson was quoted as saying "I've been around this league a long time and I don't think I've ever seen a guy play as hard as Mario plays. He pushes guys in practice to play hard and if you don't play hard he embarrasses you in terms of just knocking the hell out of you." Teammate Acie Law said "You can ask anybody in this locker room, Mario's the hardest worker on the team. You have to be at practice to see him. His motor never stops. Listen as Mario talks about faith and to Defend the Dream!
You can follow Mario on Instagram: @mariowest6. You can purchase his book, Defend the Dream at www.mariowest.com
