William R. Knight (born June 9, 1952) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player and executive. Playing with the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

in both the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

(ABA) and later the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA), he was both an ABA and NBA All-Star. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

with the Pittsburgh Panthers, who

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

his No. 34. In college, Knight was a consensus second-team All-American in 1974. He began his pro career with the Indiana Pacers, earning

ABA All-Rookie First Team The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league that operated from the until it ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. The ABA presented a variety of annual awards and honors to recognize its players and ...

honors in 1975. He continued with the Pacers in the NBA, and he also played in the league for the Buffalo Braves,

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

Kansas City Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

and

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

. Knight finished his playing career with a season in France. He became an executive with the Pacers and the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies. He last served as the executive vice president and general manager of the Atlanta Hawks from 2003 to 2008.

Early life

Knight was born and raised in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a suburb of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, where he attended Braddock High School. He was a member of the 1970 Section High School Basketball Champions Braddock Tigers.

University of Pittsburgh

A 6'6"

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

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, he then attended the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

(Pitt), where he starred, and along with Mickey Martin and Kirk Bruce, Knight led the Panthers to the East Regional Finals in the

1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1974 NCAA Division I basketball tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It was the first tournament to be designated as a Division I c ...

, where they lost to eventual NCAA Champion North Carolina State, in a matchup between Knight and NCSU's David Thompson. The game was played in Raleigh, North Carolina. NCSU went on to defeat UCLA & Marquette for the National title in Greensboro, North Carolina. Knight's performance during the 1973–1974 season, in which Pitt went 25–4 and won a school record, 22 games in a row, earned him 2nd team All-American team status. He is considered one of Pitt's best players ever and was voted to Pitt's all-time starting five. Knight had his number 34 jersey retired by the University of Pittsburgh on February 20, 1989.

Professional career

Knight spent 11 seasons, from 1974–85, in the ABA and NBA as a member of the

, Buffalo Braves,

, and

. He scored 13,901 points in his ABA/NBA career and appeared in two All-Star games as well as one ABA all-star game.

Indiana Pacers (1975–77, first stint)

Knight's best years were with the Indiana Pacers, after being selected by both the Pacers and the LA Lakers in the player draft. Knight was voted 1st team ABA All-Star for the 1975–1976 season, his second year in the league after averaging 28.1 ppg. This was the last year of the ABA before the Indiana Pacers merged into the NBA. The following year Knight maintained All-Star status, this time in the NBA after averaging 26.6 ppg — second best in the league that season.

Buffalo Braves (1978)

Following a brief but successful tenure with the Buffalo Braves in the 1978 season, Knight's play slowly began to decline. A primary reason for Knight's initial success in the NBA was the poor state of the Braves franchise upon his arrival. Having recently lost their MVP talent Bob McAdoo, the directionless Braves won only 27 games in Knight's lone season with the franchise. Knight's averages of 23 points and 7 rebounds would nevertheless be enough for the forward to make his third and final career all-star team.

Boston Celtics (1978–79)

Knight departed from Buffalo via a trade that sent Knight, fellow all star

Tiny Archibald Nathaniel "Tiny" Archibald (born September 2, 1948) is an American retired professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City–Omaha Kings ...

, Marvin Barnes, and a 1981 2nd round draft pick that would become Danny Ainge to the

in exchange for

Sidney Wicks Sidney Wicks (born September 19, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of California, he played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. Wicks was selected by the Portland ...

Kermit Washington Kermit Alan Washington (born September 17, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player. Washington is best remembered for punching opposing player Rudy Tomjanovich during an on-court fight in 1977. Washington was not a highly-cove ...

, Freeman Williams, and

Kevin Kunnert Kevin Robert Kunnert (born November 11, 1951) is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 7'0" and 230 lb center–forward, was drafted out of the University of Iowa by the Chicago Bulls in the ...

. In Boston, Knight's scoring numbers dropped from 22.9 to 13.9.

Indiana Pacers (1979–83, second stint), and later career

After less than one year in Boston, Knight was traded back to the Pacers for rookie

Rick Robey Frederick Robert "Rick" Robey (born January 30, 1956) is an American former college and professional basketball player. At 6'11", he played the center position for the Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, and the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketba ...

. On November 11, 1980, Knight scored 52 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and recorded 5 steals during a 119–113 win over the

. The 52 point total was a career-high for Knight, and resulted in him winning NBA Player of the Week. Knight remained a reliable player throughout the remainder of his career, averaging between 12–18 points for the next five consecutive seasons. He ended his career as a member of the

, where he played alongside future Hall of Famers

George Gervin George Gervin ( ; born April 27, 1952), nicknamed "the Iceman", is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Virginia Squires, ...

and Artis Gilmore for 52 games. Knight is the Indiana Pacers 3rd all-time leading scorer and is in several other Top 5 all-time categories for the Pacers. His 1976 statline of 28.1 points per game still remains the highest points average by a Pacer in a single season. Knight is one of twenty-three players in NBA/ABA history to average 28 points and 10 rebounds in a season, joining the likes of Wilt Chamberlain (x7), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (x5),

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...

(x5), Elgin Baylor (x4), Karl Malone (x4),

Giannis Antetokounmpo Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo (born Adetokunbo; December 6, 1994) is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Antetokounmpo's country of origin, in addition to his s ...

(x3), Bob McAdoo (x3),

Bob Pettit Robert Lee Pettit Jr. (born December 12, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In 1956, he became the first recipient of the NBA's Mo ...

(x3), Oscar Robertson (x3),

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(x2), Joel Embiid (x2),

Julius Erving Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...

(x2), Elvin Hayes (x2),

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(x2),

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(x2),

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, Walt Bellamy, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing,

Moses Malone Moses Eugene Malone (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A cent ...

, George McGinnis, George Mikan, and David Robinson. Among these players, Knight remains the only one out of the eligible names to put up such a statline and not be inducted into the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

. Furthermore, himself, Oscar Robertson, and Larry Bird are the only three to achieve such a statline while not playing at the center or power forward position. A versatile wing player, it was commonplace for Knight to switch between playing the small forward and shooting guard positions over the course of his eleven year professional career.

Front office career

Prior to joining the Hawks organization in 2002, Knight worked as a front office executive with the Pacers and the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies.

Atlanta Hawks (2003–08)

Knight's reign as GM of the Atlanta Hawks was marred by a mix of successful and poor draft selections. In 2004, he drafted Josh Childress over future All-Stars Luol Deng and

Andre Iguodala Andre Tyler Iguodala ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The swingman was an NBA All-Star in 2012 and has been named to t ...

. Childress wound up leaving the Atlanta Hawks to join a Greek franchise. In 2005, Billy Knight drafted UNC freshman phenom

Marvin Williams Marvin Gaye Williams Jr. (born June 19, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. He played one season of college basketball for North Carolina before being drafted second overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2005 NBA draft. Hi ...

over consensus top point guard and future 9-time All Star and 7-time All-NBA team

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

Chris Paul despite the roster's need for a point guard and glut of young players at the swing position between Josh Childress and

Josh Smith Joshua Smith (born December 5, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Entering the NBA straight out of high school, Smith played nine seasons with the Atlant ...

. 2006 led to the selection of Sheldon Williams, an undersized power forward, despite glaring needs at guard and future all-star

Brandon Roy Brandon Dawayne Roy (born July 23, 1984) is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the head coach of the boys' basketball team at Garfield High School in Seattle. Roy played six seasons in the National Basketball Associati ...

available. On May 7, 2008, Knight stepped down as Hawks GM. When announcing his resignation from the team he stated that he had left the Hawks "in much better shape than it was in when I took over."

Personal life

Knight currently lives in Atlanta, and continues to play tennis, a game he enjoys and began playing around the age of 30.

ABA/NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Indiana (ABA) , 80 , , – , , 32.0 , , .534 , , .250 , , .799 , , 7.9 , , 2.1 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 17.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Indiana (ABA) , 70 , , – , , 39.6 , , .494 , , .400 , , .828 , , 10.1 , , 3.7 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 28.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, 78 , , – , , 40.0 , , .493 , , – , , .816 , , 7.5 , , 3.3 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 26.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Buffalo , 53 , , – , , 40.7 , , .494 , , – , , .809 , , 7.2 , , 3.0 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , 22.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 40 , , – , , 28.0 , , .502 , , – , , .808 , , 4.3 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .1 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 39 , , – , , 25.0 , , .556 , , – , , .873 , , 4.5 , , 2.2 , , .8 , , .1 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , – , , 25.5 , , .533 , , .267 , , .809 , , 4.8 , , 2.1 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 13.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , – , , 29.1 , , .533 , , .158 , , .832 , , 5.0 , , 1.9 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 17.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 19 , , 22.3 , , .495 , , .281 , , .826 , , 3.2 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , .2 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 54 , , 28.3 , , .520 , , .158 , , .841 , , 4.1 , , 2.4 , , .8 , , .1 , , 17.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, 75 , , 39 , , 25.1 , , .491 , , .286 , , .859 , , 3.4 , , 2.1 , , .7 , , .1 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 16 , , 0 , , 11.8 , , .449 , , 1.000 , , .813 , , 1.4 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , .1 , , 4.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, 52 , , 1 , , 11.8 , , .439 , , .417 , , .895 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .0 , , 6.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 821 , , 113 , , 28.9 , , .507 , , .284 , , .827 , , 5.3 , , 2.3 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 16.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 2 , , 0 , , 17.5 , , .526 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 7.5 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 12.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, style="text-align:left;”, Indiana(ABA) , 18, , –, , 42.4, , .568, , .000, , .845, , 8.9, , 2.4, , .9, , .1, , 24.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

, style="text-align:left;”, Indiana(ABA) , 3, , –, , 47.7, , .554, , .000, , .864, , 10.7, , 4.0, , .7, , .0, , 33.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, style="text-align:left;”,

, 2, , –, , 35.5, , .533, , –, , .625, , 6.0, , 2.5, , .5, , .0, , 18.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

, style="text-align:left;”,

, 3, , –, , 12.3, , .333, , –, , 1.000, , 1.0, , .7, , .0, , .0, , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

, style="text-align:left;”,

, 5, , 0, , 9.0, , .533, , .000, , –, , 1.2, , .6, , .4, , .0, , 3.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 31 , , 0 , , 34.2 , , .550 , , .000 , , .837 , , 6.9 , , 2.1 , , .7 , , .0 , , 19.5

References

External links

Career stats
at basketball-reference.com

at nba.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Billy 1952 births Living people African-American sports executives and administrators All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in France American men's basketball players American sports executives and administrators Boston Celtics players Buffalo Braves players Indiana Pacers players Kansas City Kings players Limoges CSP players Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Memphis Grizzlies executives NBA All-Stars People from Braddock, Pennsylvania Basketball players from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball players San Antonio Spurs players Shooting guards Small forwards 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople