Billy Knight (basketball, born 1979)
William Price Knight (January 20, 1979 – July 8, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. His last professional stops were in Japan with Hamamatsu, Osaka, Hyogo and Yamagata.[1]
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 20, 1979 Los Angeles, California |
| Died | July 8, 2018 (aged 39) Phoenix, Arizona |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 209 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Westchester (Los Angeles, California) |
| College | UCLA (1997–2002） |
| NBA draft | 2002 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 2002–2016 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Career history | |
| 2002–2003 | Akropol BBK |
| 2003–2004 | Entente Orléanaise 45 |
| 2004–2005 | Apollon Limassol |
| 2005 | JA Vichy |
| 2005 | Trotamundos B.B.C. |
| 2005–2006 | Al Rayyan |
| 2006 | Hollywood Fame |
| 2006–2007 | Santa Barbara Breakers |
| 2007–2008 | ESSM Le Portel |
| ? | Los Angeles Lightning |
| 2008-2009 | Boulazac Basket Dordogne |
| 2009–2010 | Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix |
| 2010–2011 | Osaka Evessa |
| 2011–2015 | Hyogo Storks |
| 2015–2016 | Yamagata Wyverns |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Early life
He attended high school at Westchester High in Los Angeles. As a sophomore, he was a reserve at center when Knight's father decided that his son's chances for an athletic scholarship to college rested on his jump-shooting skills. Knight was already tall, so his father set up dummies in their backyard court that he would be forced to shoot over.[2] As a senior, he had developed into one of the top jump shooters nationally and committed to play college basketball for the UCLA Bruins.[3]
Professional career
Knight helped the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix to their first bj league title in 2009–2010, when he was the league's third-leading scorer, averaging 19.6 points per game. He and teammate Wendell White formed a duo dubbed the "White-Knight Show".[4] In 2012–13, he helped lead the Hyogo Storks to their first Japan Basketball League (JBL2) championship.[5]
Criminal allegations and death
On June 13, 2018, Knight was arrested on six counts of molestation charges, including two counts of sexual conduct with a minor.[6][7] He died by suicide through multiple blunt force injuries on July 8 after jumping from a building in Phoenix, Arizona,[8][9] shortly after posting a video to YouTube talking about his mental illness and encouraged others to seek help.[9][10]
Career statistics
Professional
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Denotes seasons in which Knight won a league championship |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | Orléans | 9 | 29.3 | .450 | .447 | .722 | 5.3 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 17.7 | |
| 2003-04 | Akropol | 30 | 30.1 | .539 | .500 | .836 | 7.4 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 28.9 | |
| 2005-06 | Vichy | 12 | 30.4 | .401 | .275 | .773 | 5.6 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 15.7 | |
| 2007-08 | Portel | 31 | 26.6 | .499 | .369 | .764 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 16.0 | |
| 2008-09 | Boulazac | 19 | 26.8 | .534 | .439 | .775 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 14.9 | |
| 2009-10† | Hamamatsu | 47 | 29 | 26.2 | .413 | .395 | .795 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 19.6 |
| 2010-11 | Osaka | 50 | 37 | 25.0 | .457 | .357 | .797 | 7.3 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 17.1 |
| 2013-14 | Hyogo | 54 | 53 | 26.6 | .385 | .367 | .843 | 6.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 17.6 |
| 2014-15 | Hyogo | 54 | 16.9 | .420 | .284 | .836 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 13.1 | |
| 2015-16 | Yamagata | 36 | 9 | 21.9 | .470 | .392 | .847 | 8.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 21.1 |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | Osaka | 4 | 26.5 | .421 | .000 | .783 | 8.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 16.5 |
References
- Nishinomiya Storks (11 July 2018). "ウィリアム・ナイト選手の訃報に接して". Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- Plaschke, Bill (March 20, 2002). "Role Models". Los Angeles Times.
- Wilner, John (December 31, 1996). "Knight Committed to Bruins". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018 – via HighBeam Research.
- Odeven, Ed (February 24, 2012). "Knight still wonders why no team would give him shot". The Japan Times.
- Odeven, Ed (July 12, 2018). "Former UCLA, Japan pro basketball player Billy Knight dies in suicide after abuse charges". The Japan Times.
- Fattal, Derek (July 11, 2018). "Former UCLA star Billy Knight was facing child molestation charges before death". Los Angeles Daily News.
- TMZ Sports (11 July 2018). "UCLA's Billy Knight Allegedly Sexually Abused 9-Year-Old Girl Before Death". Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- Bolch, Ben. "Two former UCLA basketball stars die tragically, leaving questions behind". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- Anderson, Joel. "Former UCLA basketball player Billy Knight found dead at age 39". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- West, Jenna (July 10, 2018). "Former UCLA Player Billy Knight Found Dead at 39". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
External links
Media related to Billy Knight (basketball, born 1979) at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
- UCLA Bruins bio
- Stats in Japan