Career
Knight was drafted with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. In July 1996, less than a month after drafting Knight, the Bulls renounced the rights to sign Knight rather than give him the required three-year contract for first-round picks. [1] He then signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.
After playing in 71 games with the Lakers, which included 14 starts, an appearance in the rookie all-star game and averages of 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game, Knight was once again a free agent and signed a 7-year contract worth $22 million with the Boston Celtics under new coach and general manager Rick Pitino. [2] Upon signing the deal, Knight said, "I really have mixed emotions; I should be elated right now, but I'm not. I feel so much loyalty [to the Lakers]". [2] After one season in which he averaged 6.5 points over 71 games with the Celtics, Knight was traded back to the Lakers for Tony Battie. He won a championship as a role player with the Lakers in 2000, averaging 1.6 points per game in 6.3 minutes in 71 games. In September 2000, Knight was sent to the New York Knicks as part of a four-team trade which sent Patrick Ewing to the Seattle SuperSonics. [3] Knight played his final 3 NBA seasons in New York; he averaged between 5.7 and 9 minutes per game over those seasons and never more than 2 points per game as a bench player. He left the NBA in 2003 when the initial contract he signed in 1996 expired.
Overall, Knight played in 7 NBA seasons from 1996 to 2003, appeared in 371 games over that time and scored a total of 1,276 points. He holds the NBA Playoff record for quickest disqualification, having fouled out in six minutes in game 4 of the 1999 Western Conference semi-finals. [4]
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who last coached for the Georgetown University men's team. He played most of his career as the starting center for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) before ending his playing career with brief stints with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic. Ewing is regarded as one of the greatest centers of all time, playing a dominant role in the New York Knicks 1990s success.
Robert Allen McAdoo Jr. is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1975. He won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s. In 2000, McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
Xavier Maurice McDaniel, nicknamed "X-Man", is an American retired professional basketball player who, at 6 ft 7 in, played both small forward and power forward. He played in college at Wichita State University.
Kurt Vincent Thomas is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'9", 230 lb. power forward-center, Thomas was known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense during his eight year tenure with the New York Knicks. Having played college basketball at Texas Christian University, he was drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995 and went on to play parts of 18 seasons in the NBA.
Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Seattle, Robinson played college basketball for the University of Washington in Seattle and was the 21st pick in the 2005 NBA draft. The 5-foot-9-inch (1.75 m) point guard played in the NBA for the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and New Orleans Pelicans. Robinson became the NBA's first three-time slam dunk champion in 2010.
Collier "P. J." Brown Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m), 239 lb (108 kg) center/power forward was selected out of Louisiana Tech University by the New Jersey Nets with the 29th overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft, but began his NBA career only in the 1993–94 season. He was voted into the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times, in 1997, 1999 and 2001, and won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2004. He attended Winnfield Senior High School in Winnfield, Louisiana, where he played for the Winnfield Tigers, and has played professionally for the Nets, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Hornets, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. Brown retired from the NBA after winning an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008.
Shannon Brown is an American former professional basketball player. He attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2003, and played college basketball for Michigan State University. He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 25th overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft.
Scott Layden is an American former general manager for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the son of former coach and general manager of the Jazz, Frank Layden, and a graduate of Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania where he studied Business and Sports Management. Layden was the general manager for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2016 to 2020.
The 1995–96 NBA season was the Bulls' 30th season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Bulls acquired controversial All-Star forward and rebound-specialist Dennis Rodman from the San Antonio Spurs, and signed free agents Randy Brown and James Edwards. At midseason, the team signed John Salley, who was previously released by the expansion Toronto Raptors; Rodman, Edwards and Salley were all teammates on the Detroit Pistons during the "Bad Boy" era, where they won two straight championships in 1989 and 1990. The Bulls had the best team offensive rating and the best team defensive rating in the NBA.
The 1996–97 NBA season was the Los Angeles Lakers' 49th season in the National Basketball Association, and 37th in the city of Los Angeles. This season was mostly remembered for the Lakers signing free agent All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal to a seven-year, $120 million deal, and acquiring high school basketball star Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets, who selected him with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA draft during the off-season. The team also signed former Lakers guard Byron Scott from the "Showtime" era, signed free agents Jerome Kersey, and Sean Rooks, and acquired rookie center Travis Knight from the Chicago Bulls. In January, they traded Cedric Ceballos back to his former team, the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Robert Horry, who won two championships with the Houston Rockets. The Lakers had the eighth best team defensive rating in the NBA.
The 1970–71 NBA season was the Buffalo Braves inaugural season in the NBA. With a roster made up primarily of castoffs, the Braves got off on the right foot by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 107–92 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium on October 14. However, the Braves would drop their next nine as they took on established NBA teams on the way to finishing in last place in the Atlantic Division. The Braves' record was 22–60, which was 7 games better than the Cleveland Cavaliers, their partners in expansion.
The 1992–93 NBA season was the fifth season for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association. In the 1992 NBA draft, the Hornets selected Alonzo Mourning out of Georgetown University with the second overall pick. The team also signed free agent David Wingate during the first month of the regular season, then later on traded J.R. Reid to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Sidney Green in December, and released Tom Hammonds to free agency as he later on signed with the Denver Nuggets. With the addition of Mourning, along with second-year star Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues, the Hornets struggled losing four of their first six games, but then went on a five-game winning streak afterwards, held a 26–23 record at the All-Star break, and won 9 of their final 12 games, finishing their season third in the Central Division with a 44–38 record, and qualified for their first ever playoff appearance.
The 1991–92 NBA season was the 46th season of the National Basketball Association in New York City. In the off-season, the Knicks hired Pat Riley as their new head coach; Riley previously coached the Los Angeles Lakers two years ago. The team also acquired Xavier McDaniel from the Phoenix Suns, signed free agent Anthony Mason, and selected point guard Greg Anthony out of UNLV with the 12th overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft. Under Riley, the Knicks showed improvement as they held a 30–16 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Brian Quinnett to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for James Donaldson. The Knicks finished second in the Atlantic Division with a 51–31 record.
The 1995–96 NBA season was the 50th season for the Knicks in the National Basketball Association in New York City, New York. After Pat Riley left to coach the Miami Heat, the Knicks hired Don Nelson as their new head coach. The team also signed free agent Gary Grant in November. The Knicks won ten of their first twelve games, leading to a 16–5 start and held a 30–16 record at the All-Star break. However, the team never seemed to get under Nelson down the stretch, as he was fired and replaced with long-time assistant Jeff Van Gundy after 59 games. At midseason, the Knicks traded Charles D. Smith and second-year forward Monty Williams to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for J.R. Reid and Brad Lohaus, and dealt Doug Christie and Herb Williams to the expansion Toronto Raptors in exchange for Willie Anderson and Victor Alexander. However, after playing just one game for the Raptors, Williams was released and re-signed by the Knicks for the remainder of the season. Under Van Gundy, the Knicks finished the season playing around .500 to post a 47–35 record, second in the Atlantic Division.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the 54th season of the National Basketball Association in New York City, New York. During the off-season, the Knicks acquired All-Star forward Glen Rice from the Los Angeles Lakers, acquired Erick Strickland from the Dallas Mavericks, and acquired Luc Longley from the Phoenix Suns; Longley won three championships with the Chicago Bulls during their second three-peat in the 1990s. In their first season without Patrick Ewing, the Knicks remained a perennial playoff contender, holding a 29–18 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Chris Childs to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for former Knicks guard Mark Jackson and Muggsy Bogues, who never played for the Knicks due to a knee injury, while Strickland was dealt to the Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for Othella Harrington. The Knicks finished third in the Atlantic Division with a 48–34 record, earning the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference, and made the playoffs for the fourteenth consecutive year.
The 2000–01 NBA season was the 34th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. With the hopes of improving the team in the middle, the Sonics acquired All-Star center Patrick Ewing from the New York Knicks, and signed free agent Pervis Ellison. However, the Sonics would get off to a slow start losing seven of their first ten games. Head coach Paul Westphal was fired after a 6–9 start, and was replaced with former Sonics guard Nate McMillan. The Sonics played above .500 for the remainder of the season holding a 28–24 record at the All-Star break, and finishing fifth in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record, but missed the playoffs by finishing tenth place in the Western Conference.
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. In the 1997 NBA draft, the Celtics selected Chauncey Billups from the University of Colorado with the third overall pick, and selected Ron Mercer from the University of Kentucky with the sixth pick. Despite finishing with the NBA's second worst record in 1996–97, the Celtics were back in the headlines after hiring University of Kentucky head coach Rick Pitino as their new coach. In the off-season, the team signed free agent Chris Mills, but then sent him to the New York Knicks in exchange for second-year forward Walter McCarty in October, and also signed second-year center Travis Knight, Andrew DeClercq, Bruce Bowen and Tyus Edney.
The 1996–97 New York Knicks season was the 51st season for the Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). For the season, the Knicks celebrated their 50th anniversary in the NBA by revealing an anniversary version of the team's primary logo. During the off-season, the Knicks acquired All-Star forward Larry Johnson from the Charlotte Hornets, and signed free agents Allan Houston, Chris Childs, and former All-Star forward Buck Williams. The team also had three first-round draft picks in the 1996 NBA draft, selecting small forward John Wallace out of Syracuse University with the 18th overall pick, small forward Walter McCarty from the University of Kentucky with the 19th overall pick, and small forward Dontae' Jones out of Mississippi State University with the 21st overall pick. However, Jones would miss the entire season with a foot injury, and would never play for the Knicks.
The 1988–89 New York Knicks season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During the off-season, the Knicks acquired Charles Oakley from the Chicago Bulls, and selected point guard Rod Strickland out of DePaul University with the 19th overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft. At midseason, the team acquired Kiki Vandeweghe from the Portland Trail Blazers. In the regular season, the Knicks held a 32–16 record at the All-Star break, finished with a 52–30 record, and won the Atlantic Division title for the first time since 1970–71.
Travis James Wear is an American former professional basketball player. He began his pro career with the New York Knicks after going undrafted in 2014.
