Every time Billy Knight drives through the streets of Braddock, the same ones around which he was raised, the memories start coming back to him.
Much has changed in his hometown from the time he grew up there, but there’s still so much familiarity, from the houses to the storefronts to, most important, the people. Knight now lives in Atlanta, but the former Braddock High School and Pitt star has never truly or fully left the place he’ll always consider home.
On Saturday, Knight made the most recent of the visits he regularly takes to Braddock and the larger Pittsburgh area, this time to meet with old friends and, to his surprise, to receive an honor from the city of Braddock and Mayor John Fetterman — July 21, 2018, was proclaimed Billy Knight Day, a distinction complete with a plaque and a reunion at a local restaurant that doubled as a party.
Surrounded by family members, ex-teammates, friends and fans who made the trek, Knight was reminded not only of his greatness, but of his roots. When asked what he’s proudest of when he looks back on his career — from all the points to all the wins to all the fame — his answer comes back to a familiar place.
“I’m proud of the fact I’m from Braddock,” Knight said. “We had a lot of good basketball players come from that area — Braddock, Rankin, North Braddock. I was fortunate and blessed to be able to navigate through all of that to get to where I got to.
“I’m proud of the fact I’m still friends with a lot of the guys I grew up with. Everybody I played with, we’re still friends. They can’t call me a gunner or that I didn’t pass because we’re still friends today. If I was like that, they wouldn’t even talk to me today.”
The honor was the latest in a life and career filled and perhaps defined by them.
Nearly a half-century after his college career ended, Knight is still regarded as perhaps the best player in Pitt basketball history. In three varsity seasons, he averaged 22.2 points per game and was named an All-American his senior year, the same year in which he led the Panthers to a 25-4 record and an Elite Eight appearance. His No. 34 jersey is only one of four retired by the university.
From there, Knight spent the next 11 seasons in the ABA and NBA, earning all-star honors in both leagues. He stayed in the game after retirement, serving as an executive with the Indiana Pacers, the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies and the Atlanta Hawks.
Knight stays connected with his past, one that was brought back into the spotlight in May when Pitt announced him as one of 16 inductees for its inaugural hall of fame class. He maintains a strong bond with Pitt and keeps regular tabs on his alma mater, particularly the movement and turnover that has defined the men’s basketball program the past several years.
“I think [newly hired] coach [Jeff] Capel is going to do a great job as the basketball coach,” Knight said. “I think this athletic director [Heather Lyke] has brought in a whole different, new thinking and an innovative way of doing things. She has a very refreshing approach to the Pitt athletic world. I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a very good change. It’s going to be a pleasant change.”
Since his tenure as the Hawks' general manager ended in 2008, Knight, who turned 66 in June, has enjoyed what amounts to retirement. Around the time he turned 30, Knight was in search of a physical activity other than basketball to keep him occupied during the offseason and soon discovered a passion for tennis. He plays compulsively to this day, scratching the competitive itch that stayed with him even after his basketball career ended.
Though he lives nearly 700 miles away, Knight makes it back to Western Pennsylvania as much as he can, often to catch up with friends. When he got a call from some of his old friends in Braddock wondering the next time he would be back in town, Knight didn’t think much of it, assuming they just wanted to grab lunch.
What he got was something else entirely.
Awaiting him at the restaurant were not only old friends from the neighborhood — including someone who, until he introduced himself, Knight didn’t realize lived across the street from him growing up — but a decorated collection of local players who Knight either played with or competed against at one point or another. Among those in attendance were Terry Knight, his younger brother, and former teammate Kirk Bruce, both of whom played at Pitt; Hosea Champine and Jeff Baldwin, both former Duquesne players; Pete Harris and Eric Jefferson, both Braddock natives who went on to play for Jim Calhoun at Northeastern; former Robert Morris coach Matt Furjanic, who began his coaching career at Braddock; and Bill Neal, the longtime director of the Connie Hawkins Summer League.
A man so often and understandably greeted reverentially was, at least for one afternoon, “Mooney,” a nickname Knight was given when he was younger. Together with those closest to him, reconnecting over stories and other memories, he was home.
“We all grew up together,” Knight said. “It’s just good to get back and see everybody, have a few laughs and tell a few stories. Some of them are exaggerated by now, but we’re still telling stories.”
Craig Meyer: cmeyer@post-gazette.com and Twitter @CraigMeyerPG
First Published: July 23, 2018, 12:00 p.m.
