Biography
Who is Scot Pollard?
Early life and basketball roots
Born in Murray, Utah, Scot Pollard grew up living in San Diego, California, and Kennewick, Washington. He attended Torrey Pines High School in San Diego for three years before moving to Washington to play his senior year at Kamiakin High School. Parade magazine recognized him as a high school All-American in 1993. Following high school, he attended the University of Kansas, where he played NCAA basketball for the Jayhawks. He graduated in 1997 with a degree in education. During his college career, he finished with 850 rebounds and 218 blocked shots, establishing himself as a significant player in the school's history.
Professional basketball career
The Detroit Pistons selected Scot Pollard 19th overall in the 1997 NBA draft. He debuted during the 1997-98 season, playing 33 games for the team. Throughout his 11-year career, he played for the Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. During his time with the Kings, he became a reliable backup center to Vlade Divac and often started at power forward when Chris Webber was unavailable. He suffered an injury during the lockout-shortened 1999 season that limited his playing time.
After stints with the Pacers and Cavaliers, Scot Pollard joined the Boston Celtics for the 2007-08 season. He chose uniform number 66 and played limited minutes during the year. While he did not see playing time during the team's postseason run, he earned an NBA championship ring in his final professional season. Over his career, he was frequently noted for his distinctive hairstyles, which included Mohawks and multiple pony tails. Fans of the Sacramento Kings also gave him the nickname Samurai Scot.
Television and media work
Beyond the basketball court, Scot Pollard has pursued work in broadcasting and acting. During the 2007-08 season, he hosted a segment called Planet Pollard for the show Celtics Now on Comcast SportsNet. He later gained experience as a color analyst for the Sacramento Kings and the Sacramento Monarchs. In 2014, he joined the Indiana Pacers radio crew. His acting credits include the 2012 horror film Axeman at Cutter's Creek, where he played the lead role, and the 2014 film Jayhawkers.
In 2016, Scot Pollard appeared as a contestant on the 32nd season of the reality series Survivor, titled Survivor: Kaoh Rong. The show was filmed in Cambodia during 2015. He competed as part of the To Tang, Gondol, and Dara tribes. He was voted out on Day 27 of the competition and served as the fourth member of the jury.
Health and recovery
In January 2024, Scot Pollard publicly shared that he was suffering from a genetic heart condition triggered by a virus he contracted in 2021. He spent time in the ICU during February 2024 while waiting for a heart transplant. On February 16, 2024, he underwent successful heart transplant surgery. Over a year later, in March 2025, he met the donor's family in person to thank them for the transplant, which he described as the gift of life.
Birthday and age
Scot Pollard was born on February 12, 1975, which makes Scot 51 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Scot shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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