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]

For the NBA basketball player and executive who attended Pittsburgh, see Billy Knight.
Billy Knight
Personal information
Born(1979-01-20)January 20, 1979
Los Angeles, California
DiedJuly 8, 2018(2018-07-08) (aged 39)
Phoenix, Arizona
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight209 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High schoolWestchester (Los Angeles, California)
CollegeUCLA (1997–2002）
NBA draft2002 / Undrafted
Playing career2002–2016
PositionShooting guard
Career history
2002–2003Akropol BBK
2003–2004Entente Orléanaise 45
2004–2005Apollon Limassol
2005JA Vichy
2005Trotamundos B.B.C.
2005–2006Al Rayyan
2006Hollywood Fame
2006–2007Santa Barbara Breakers
2007–2008ESSM Le Portel
?Los Angeles Lightning
2008-2009Boulazac Basket Dordogne
2009–2010Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix
2010–2011Osaka Evessa
2011–2015Hyogo Storks
2015–2016Yamagata Wyverns
Career highlights and awards
  • bj league champion (2010)
  • 2× bj league All-Star
  • JBL2 champion (2013)
  • JBL2 Scoring leader (2012)
  • JBL2 Block leader (2012)
  • 2x JBL2 Best Five (2012, 2013)

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
Legend
  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 929.3.450.447.7225.32.01.30.017.7
2003-04 Akropol 3030.1.539.500.8367.42.11.40.128.9
2005-06 Vichy 1230.4.401.275.7735.61.51.90.315.7
2007-08 Portel 3126.6.499.369.7643.01.72.30.116.0
2008-09 Boulazac 1926.8.534.439.7754.31.81.20.014.9
2009-10† Hamamatsu 472926.2.413.395.7955.42.01.30.319.6
2010-11 Osaka 503725.0.457.357.7977.32.01.30.317.1
2013-14 Hyogo 545326.6.385.367.8436.81.11.40.317.6
2014-15 Hyogo 5416.9.420.284.8363.60.70.90.213.1
2015-16 Yamagata 36921.9.470.392.8478.91.21.10.621.1

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010-11 Osaka 426.5.421.000.7838.03.01.30.016.5

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1997-98 UCLA 24.444.387.7270.90.10.20.02.8
1998-99 UCLA
1999-00 UCLA 28.453.397.6562.10.70.50.05.4
2000-01 UCLA 3218.460.421.7321.90.60.60.17.9
2001–02 UCLA 333329.0.458.397.8263.51.41.20.114.1
Career 1175129.0.456.403.7742.20.70.70.18.0

References
  1. 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.
  2. Plaschke, Bill (March 20, 2002). "Role Models". Los Angeles Times.
  3. Wilner, John (December 31, 1996). "Knight Committed to Bruins". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018 – via HighBeam Research.
  4. Odeven, Ed (February 24, 2012). "Knight still wonders why no team would give him shot". The Japan Times.
  5. Odeven, Ed (July 12, 2018). "Former UCLA, Japan pro basketball player Billy Knight dies in suicide after abuse charges". The Japan Times.
  6. Fattal, Derek (July 11, 2018). "Former UCLA star Billy Knight was facing child molestation charges before death". Los Angeles Daily News.
  7. TMZ Sports (11 July 2018). "UCLA's Billy Knight Allegedly Sexually Abused 9-Year-Old Girl Before Death". Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  8. Bolch, Ben. "Two former UCLA basketball stars die tragically, leaving questions behind". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  9. Anderson, Joel. "Former UCLA basketball player Billy Knight found dead at age 39". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  10. West, Jenna (July 10, 2018). "Former UCLA Player Billy Knight Found Dead at 39". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
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