Billy Knight

Lore & Background

Knight was born and raised in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, where he attended Braddock High School. He was a member of the 1970 Section High School Basketball Champions Braddock Tigers. A 6'6" guard/forward, he then attended the University of Pittsburgh (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, where they lost to eventual NCAA Champion North Carolina State. 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. He spent 11 seasons, from 1974 to 1985, in the ABA and NBA as a member of the Indiana Pacers, Buffalo Braves, Boston Celtics, Kansas City Kings, and San Antonio Spurs. 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. 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. Following a brief but successful tenure with the Buffalo Braves in the 1978 season, Knight's play slowly began to decline. Knight departed from Buffalo via a trade that sent Knight, fellow all star Tiny Archibald, Marvin Barnes, and a 1981 2nd-round draft pick that would become Danny Ainge to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Sidney Wicks, Kermit Washington, Freeman Williams, and Kevin Kunnert. After less than one year in Boston, Knight was traded back to the Pacers for rookie Rick Robey. On November 11, 1980, Knight scored 52 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and recorded 5 steals during a 119–113 win over the San Antonio Spurs. The 52 point total was a career-high for Knight, and resulted in him winning NBA Player of the Week.

Reader's Guide

Knight began his pro career with the Indiana Pacers, earning ABA All-Rookie First Team honors in 1975. He continued with the Pacers in the NBA, and he also played in the league for the Buffalo Braves, Boston Celtics, Kansas City Kings and San Antonio Spurs. 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.

Did You Know?

• He is one of twenty-three players in NBA/ABA history to average 28 points and 10 rebounds in a season.
• Knight's 28.1 points per game in 1976 remains the highest single-season scoring average by a Pacer.
• He is the only eligible player among that group not inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.