The oldest of four children (one of whom died in infancy), Blair grew up in Pittsburgh\'s Hill District. Although he was the smallest of his siblings at birth, he was the largest child in his class by the time he started at Manchester Academic Charter School, where he attended kindergarten through eighth grade. Both of his parents played basketball at Schenley High School, which was located in North Oakland/Schenley Heights until 2008, and his uncle ran the nearby Ammons Recreation Center, where he learned to play the game.\n', '

Blair attended the same school as his parents, Schenley High School. While there, he played for the basketball team and scored 1,563 career points and finished with an overall 103–16 team record, including a 57–0 record within the Pittsburgh City League. He was named the AP player of the state and made first-team all-state his junior and senior year. Blair led Schenley to the 2007 PIAA Class 4A state championship, the first state title for a City League team since 1978; in the final against Chester, he had 18 points, 23 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. He was also named Pittsburgh City League Player of the year three times.\n', '

Blair also played in the summer leagues at Pittsburgh\'s Kennard Park and played a championship game in which his team played against a team led by future Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who was also a highly regarded basketball prospect.\n', '

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