Bob Knight (basketball, born 1929)

Bob Knight
Personal information
Born(1929-04-30)April 30, 1929
DiedMay 23, 2008(2008-05-23) (aged 79)
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolWeaver (Hartford, Connecticut)
BAA draft1947: undrafted
Playing career1947–1967
PositionGuard / forward
Number3
Career history
1947–1949Hartford Hurricanes
1951Bridgeport Roesslers
1951–1953Manchester British-Americans
1954New York Knicks
1961–1962Scranton Miners
1965–1967New Haven Elms
Career highlights
  • ABL champion (1953)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Robert Fred Knight (April 30, 1929 – May 23, 2008) was an American professional basketball player. He did not play basketball at high school or college.[1] Knight made his professional debut with the Hartford Hurricanes of the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1947 as the first African-American player signed by the club.[2] He played in the ABL between 1947 and 1953, winning a league championship with the Manchester British-Americans in 1953.[3]

On November 26, 1954, Knight signed with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] He had left a strong impression on the team after he scored 30 points against them in an exhibition game in 1952.[1] Knight played two games for the New York Knicks and averaged 3.5 points per game.[4] On December 1, he was released by the Knicks.[5]

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Knight played on-and-off for the Harlem Globetrotters.[6] He played in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) for the Scranton Miners during the 1961–62 season and the New Haven Elms from 1965 to 1967.[7]

Career statistics

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

NBA

Source[4]

Regular season

Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1954–55 New York 2 14.5 .429 1.000 .5 4.0 3.5

References

  1. ^ a b c "New Knick". Daily News. November 27, 1954. p. 49. Retrieved September 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Hurricanes May Have Kevin Connors In Lineup At Auditorium Tonight". Hartford Courant. November 21, 1947. p. 21. Retrieved September 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "American Basketball League Statistics 1938–39 to 1952–53". apbr.org. The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Bob Knight NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  5. ^ "Knicks May Be In Stride". The Herald Statesman. December 2, 1954. p. 31. Retrieved September 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Conner, Desmond (May 31, 2008). "Service A Celebration Of Knight's Life". Hartford Courant. HartfordInfo.org. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  7. ^ "Bobby Knight minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved September 1, 2025.