Kirk King (born December 24, 1975) is a retired

professional basketball In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larg ...

player. He played for the

Connecticut Huskies The UConn Huskies (or Connecticut Huskies) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, located in Storrs. The school is a member of the NCAA's Division I and the Big East Conference. The university's fo ...

from 1993 to 1997 before being suspended during his senior season for violating

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA) rules. In 1997, he was drafted into the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball m ...

(CBA), the now-defunct developmental league of 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). While never reaching the NBA, King played professionally for several years in the CBA, the

United States Basketball League The United States Basketball League (USBL) was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985 and ceased operations in 2008. The USBL started in 1985 as one of the first basketball leagues to play a late-spring to ...

, the

International Basketball League The International Basketball League (IBL) was a semi-professional men's basketball league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States. In 2010 the Albany Legends became the first team in the Northeastern United States to join. The ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Early life and amateur career

Born in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...

, King attended Southern Lab High School. He led the school's basketball team to two state championships during his junior and senior seasons. He played for the

People to People Student Ambassador Program The People to People Student Ambassador Program was a travel service based in Spokane, Washington, offering domestic and international travel opportunities to middle and high school students. The group was founded in 1956, during the Eisenhower a ...

basketball team which traveled to the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

in 1994, Italy in 1995 and Spain in 1996. King opted to attend the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

instead of a Louisiana university following a visit to

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

and a tour of the campus. After averaging 2.9

points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...

in his first two seasons as a reserve player with the

, King was given the starting

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger t ...

spot going into his junior season (1995–96). On January 10, 1996, King set a career high in points with 20 on 10-of-10 shooting from the

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

, tying a

Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and M ...

record for number of field goals made in a game without a miss. In January 1996, King made 22 straight field goals, three shy on the

(NCAA) record of 25-for-25. Going into the 1996–97 season, King was the only player on UConn's roster that had experience as a starter and was named the team's

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. In January 1997, the NCAA announced that King and UConn sophomore

Ricky Moore Ricky Moore may refer to: * Ricky Moore (American football) (born 1963), American former football running back in the National Football League (NFL) * Ricky Moore (basketball) (born 1976), American retired basketball player and coach * Ricky Moore ...

had been suspended for accepting free

airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...

tickets from

agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...

John Lounsbury to fly back to Connecticut in October 1995. King's suspension was for the remainder of his senior season. The NCAA gave King a longer suspension than Moore because according to their investigation King knew he was violating NCAA rules. UConn was later stripped of their wins during their

1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championsh ...

run and ordered them to pay back $90,970 in money the school made during the postseason. The team made King an

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

assistant coach A sports coach is a person coaching in sport, involved in the direction, instruction and training of a sports team or athlete. History The original sense of the word ''coach'' is that of a Coach (carriage), horse-drawn carriage, deriving ultima ...

following his suspension, allowing him to attend practices, travel with the team and sit on their bench during games. Huskies head coach

Jim Calhoun James A. Calhoun (born May 10, 1942) is a longtime college basketball coach. He is best known for his tenure as head coach of the University of Connecticut (UConn) men's basketball team. His teams won three NCAA national championships ( 1999, ...

told the ''

Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...

'', "Kirk King made a mistake; nothing more, nothing less. I think he should be able to play, but I don't run the NCAA. What Kirk said to us was more than compelling to me. Apparently, it wasn't for other people. I can't control that." King graduated from Connecticut with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

Professional career

Following his graduation in 1997, King was drafted in the fifth round (46 overall) by the

Connecticut Pride The Connecticut Pride (From 1993-94 the Hartford Hellcats) were an American professional basketball team based in Hartford, Connecticut that was a member of the Continental Basketball Association. They played in Hartford from 1993 to 2000, primar ...

in the

(CBA). During his rookie season in the CBA, King averaged 10.9 points per game and 4.5 rebounds. He was named the CBA's American Conference Player of the Week on January 3, 1998. King had brief stints playing for the

Connecticut Skyhawks The Connecticut Skyhawks were a men's spring-professional basketball team in the United States Basketball League. History The Skyhawks were founded in 1985 as the Connecticut Colonels. The Colonels suspended operations until the 1988 season, whe ...

in the

(USBL) in 1997 and 1998. King played for the

Guaiqueríes de Margarita Guaiqueríes de Margarita is a professional basketball team based in La Asunción, Venezuela. The team currently plays in Venezuela's Liga Profesional de Baloncesto. The team has won the Venezuelan championships nine times. Current rosters LPB ...

of the

Liga Profesional de Baloncesto The Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto, commonly known as the SPB, is the Venezuelan first division national professional basketball league. Founded in 1974 as the Liga Especial de Baloncesto, it adopted the name Liga Profesional de Baloncesto i ...

in 1998. During the off-season before the 1998–99 season, King worked out with the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

of the

(NBA), but was cut from the team before the preseason. King signed with the

La Crosse Bobcats The La Crosse Bobcats were a Continental Basketball Association basketball team located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, from 1996 to the league's bankruptcy in February 2001. The Bobcats were the second CBA team located in La Crosse; previously, the La C ...

of the CBA in 1998, but was later traded to the

Rockford Lightning The Rockford Lightning was a basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association. They were based in Rockford, Illinois. History The Lightning were the oldest team in the CBA, originally existing as the Lancaster Red Roses fro ...

. In 1999, King played briefly with a professional team based in

Aibonito, Puerto Rico Aibonito () is a small mountain town and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the Sierra de Cayey mountain range, north of Salinas; south of Barranquitas and Comerío; east of Coamo; and west of Cidra, and Cayey. Aibonito is spread over 8 '' ...

. Going into the 1999–2000 season, King signed with the

Trenton Shooting Stars The Trenton Shooting Stars were a professional basketball team in the International Basketball League (IBL) from 1999 to 2001. History The team was owned by Herb Greenberg and Larry Keating was the president: Kevin Mackey was named coach and dire ...

of the

(IBL). King signed with the

San Diego Stingrays The San Diego Stingrays were a charter member of International Basketball League (IBL) and played at the San Diego Sports Arena and was owned by online sports gaming entrepreneur Scott Atkins. The following season, the team returned to San Diego un ...

of the IBL in January 2000. In the summer of 2000, King played professional basketball in the

. King re-joined the Connecticut Pride in the CBA before the league ceased operations and filed for bankruptcy in February 2001. He was named to the CBA All-Star game during the 2000–01 season. He also played with the

Baltimore Bayrunners The Baltimore Bayrunners were a professional basketball team in the International Basketball League (IBL) from 1999 to 2000. The Bayrunners were the first professional basketball team in Baltimore, Maryland since the Bullets re-located to Washin ...

in the IBL during the 2000–01 season. Following the IBL season, King signed with the

Toros de Aragua Toros de Aragua is a Venezuelan professional basketball club based in Aragua. The club competes in the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto (LPB). Notable former players - Set a club record or won an individual award as a professional player. - Played at ...

of the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto in Venezuela. Later that year, King joined the

Piratas de Quebradillas The Piratas de Quebradillas is a Puerto Rican basketball team, part of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league. Founded in the mid 1920s, it is one of the original teams of the league. The club enjoyed its most successful era during the 1970s, ...

in the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. T ...

, Puerto Rico's top-tier men's professional basketball league. In 2001, King signed with A.O.

Near East B.C. A.O. Near East B.C. is one of the oldest professional basketball clubs in Greece. The basketball club was founded in 1927. The team is located in Kaisariani, which is a suburb of the city of Athens. Near East's home arena, Near East Indoor Arena, ...

in the

Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...

. During the 2001–02 season, King averaged 14.2

and 10

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

in 26 games played. He led the

in total rebounds (259). King last played for

Gaiteros del Zulia Gaiteros del Zulia was a professional basketball team based in Maracaibo, Venezuela. The team played in Venezuela's Liga Profesional de Baloncesto. The team won the Venezuelan championships four times. Trophies *Liga Profesional de Baloncesto ...

in the Venezuelan Liga Profesional de Baloncesto in 2005 before a knee injury forced him to retire.

References

External links

*Stats available a
Sports-Reference College Basketball
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{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Kirk 1975 births Living people Alaska Aces (PBA) players American expatriate basketball people in Greece American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela American men's basketball players Baloncesto Superior Nacional players Baltimore Bayrunners players Basketball players from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Connecticut Pride players Gaiteros del Zulia players Guaiqueríes de Margarita players La Crosse Bobcats players Near East B.C. players Philippine Basketball Association imports Piratas de Quebradillas players Rockford Lightning players San Diego Stingrays players Sta. Lucia Realtors players Trenton Shooting Stars players UConn Huskies men's basketball players Small forwards