Billy Knight, or as we called him - "Moonie" - was a Five-Star Class Act. A great guy, and as humble as there ever was.
That would be like someone claiming to be a Pitt football fan, and being unfamiliar with the name of Hugh Green.
Ex-Pitt Star Knight Interested In University's Athletic Director Job, LINK!
- Thread starter CaptainSidneyReilly
- Start date
That would be like someone claiming to be a Pitt football fan, and being unfamiliar with the name of Hugh Green.
Pitt's best options. Would be great for the program. He is highly successful and would bring al ot of success. But i doubt he will get the position.
I'm 36, and a big hoops fan...and I have only heard his name..but wouldn't recognize him if he walked into my office wearing a "My name is Billy Knight" t-shirt.
What if he walked in with a tshirt that said "I am not Bobby Knight nor Brandin Knight, but care to guess what Knight I am?"
t -shirt?
im in the same boat as Souf, 38 and know the name but wouldn't recognize him from Flipper.. Think your comparison to Hugh Green is not a very good one, Hugh was a tad before my time but know the name, face, and stories.. Knight, not so much.
Doesn't mean he wouldn't be a good AD, or a bad one. Just don't think he is that house-hold Pitt name that some people think. Especially with the under 40 crowd..
Doesn't mean he wouldn't be a good AD, or a bad one. Just don't think he is that house-hold Pitt name that some people think. Especially with the under 40 crowd..
I intentionally used Hugh Green's name because he's one of the best Pitt football players of all time. And Billy Knight was....one of the best Pitt basketball players of all time.
To not recognize him would be understandable, since he's not a "visible" guy on ESPN, and he's not an "around Pittsburgh guy" since he's worked in NBA cities. But for anyone who identifies as a Pitt basketball fan and to not hear of him is a bit odd.
But for the sake of discussion, your comments elicit an interesting situation: if your "not-too-many-people-know-of-him" comment is valid, that shoots down any name-recognition advantage that he'd have as a Pitt AD who'd be trying to squeeze $$$ from the alumni.
well to counter my own point. to be an AD who wants to increase alumni donations, you don't go after the 22 year old crowd as you do the older crowd (they tend to have more money). HEy, I don't get out much so maybe this guy is a legend in Pitt circles.. On a related note, Isnt my man Charles Smith the undeniable best Pitt basketball player ever..
Charles Smith might be. Even older (than me) fans might say that Don Hennon was the absolute best. But the game has changed so much that it's hard to say. The thing that makes Billy Knight special in a lot of people's eyes is that he played on a "special team": the starters were all from the Pittsburgh area, and they made a nice run in the NCAA tourney.
But one thing about Pitt basketball: the truly great ones have been so few that it wouldn't be too difficult to put together a Top Ten list. It wouldn't be as difficult as trying to list the Top Ten from UCLA, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, etc.
Reply
Whether you are well-known or not, generally does not have much impact on your ability to raise money. Raising money takes a special skill set and also a personality for doing it. Whether Knight has the "it" factor for raising money...it likely is not known since he has never done it before. I absolutely do not think he is what Pitt needs as our new AD, IMHO! Hail to Pitt!
Whether you are well-known or not, generally does not have much impact on your ability to raise money. Raising money takes a special skill set and also a personality for doing it. Whether Knight has the "it" factor for raising money...it likely is not known since he has never done it before. I absolutely do not think he is what Pitt needs as our new AD, IMHO! Hail to Pitt!
Re: This is a tough one
The playoff committee reasoning isn't good, BTW. Isn't Oliver Luck on it now also? And trust me, every WVU fan I know disliked him also.
If it weren't for Colin Dunlap being a snitch, the Holgy coach-in-waiting plan would have been a far bigger disaster than anything Pederson did.
Do we need to get into Big East money v. ACC money again?
The playoff committee reasoning isn't good, BTW. Isn't Oliver Luck on it now also? And trust me, every WVU fan I know disliked him also.
If it weren't for Colin Dunlap being a snitch, the Holgy coach-in-waiting plan would have been a far bigger disaster than anything Pederson did.
I think the reason why Knight's name has been bandied about is not because he was an All Time Pitt BB great, even though that helps, but he has been in management and administration of an NBA franchise, which at least puts him in a higher qualification realm than say....ahem.....Dave Wannstedt.
Reply
Based upon Knight's less than stellar NBA management career, his lack of any college experience or fundraising and advancing age...I certainly would not say that his resume is really any better than Dave's. But seriously, who in the world is really advocating either of these Pitt greats for the job? Certainly not me, or anyone with any rational thought behind it. Hail to Pitt!
Based upon Knight's less than stellar NBA management career, his lack of any college experience or fundraising and advancing age...I certainly would not say that his resume is really any better than Dave's. But seriously, who in the world is really advocating either of these Pitt greats for the job? Certainly not me, or anyone with any rational thought behind it. Hail to Pitt!
Re: Reply
Guess you don't recall this board over the past few months, as lots of people have advocated Wannstedt for AD.
Though I agree with you in that none of those people are rational.
In fairness, I must utter my [modified] line: If Billy Knight was named Mel Marlboro and played basketball at Northern New Hampshire, would you still want him as AD?
Guess you don't recall this board over the past few months, as lots of people have advocated Wannstedt for AD.
Though I agree with you in that none of those people are rational.
In fairness, I must utter my [modified] line: If Billy Knight was named Mel Marlboro and played basketball at Northern New Hampshire, would you still want him as AD?
Reply
Well people have also called for Ditka for AD...you just cannot take that kind of talk seriously. Although it would be sweet revenge for Dave to get Steve's job....my view is Pitt can do and will do far better. Expect an energetic up and comer to be hired...as I think Gallagher gets it. Now if you want to hire a former Pitt athlete to patch the relationship with our former athletes and expect them to raise big money...I'd support something like that--provided it was not just some ceremonial job and the person hired actually is driven and raises significant money--but not for the AD position. Hail to Pitt!
Well people have also called for Ditka for AD...you just cannot take that kind of talk seriously. Although it would be sweet revenge for Dave to get Steve's job....my view is Pitt can do and will do far better. Expect an energetic up and comer to be hired...as I think Gallagher gets it. Now if you want to hire a former Pitt athlete to patch the relationship with our former athletes and expect them to raise big money...I'd support something like that--provided it was not just some ceremonial job and the person hired actually is driven and raises significant money--but not for the AD position. Hail to Pitt!
Re: Bio On Pitt's Billy Knight, LINK!
That Wikipedia entry was likely written by someone who doesn't have a clue that Braddock and General Braddock aren't the same school. It would have been just as accurate to call Knight an alumnus of Woodland Hills.
This post was edited on 2/15 12:12 AM by TempleBAPittMPA
Never rely on Wikipedia for FACTS. That reference in the bio to General Braddock High School is flat out wrong. Knight graduated from BRADDOCK High School (the TIGERS) prior to Braddock High being absorbed in the merger (with Rankin and the former Scott High of North Braddock) that formed General Braddock. That merger occurred in 1971, the year after Knight graduated.Originally posted by CaptainSidneyReilly:
William R. "Billy" Knight (born June 9, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player who most recently served as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Basketball Association's Atlanta Hawks from 2003-08.
Early Life And College:
Knight was born and raised in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, where he attended General Braddock High School- Member of the 1970 Section High School Basketball Champions - General Braddock Falcons
University Of Pittsburgh:
A 6'6" guard/forward, he then attended the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt), where he starred, and along with Mickey Martin and Kirk Bruce, Knight led the Panthers to the East Regional Finals in the 1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, where they lost to eventual NCAA Champion |North Carolina State], in a matchup between Knight and NCSU's David Thompson. The game was played in Raleigh, NC. NCSU went on to defeat UCLA & Marquette for the National title in Greensboro, NC.
Knight's performance during the 1973-1974 season, in which Pitt went 25-4 and won a school record, 22 games in a row, earned him 2nd team All-American team status. He is considered one of Pitt's best players ever and was voted to Pitt's all-time starting five. Knight had his number 34 jersey retired by the University of Pittsburgh on February 20, 1989.
Professional Career:
Knight spent eleven seasons, from 1974-85, in the ABA and NBA as a member of the Indiana Pacers, Buffalo Braves, Boston Celtics, Kansas City Kings, and San Antonio Spurs. He scored 13,901 points in his ABA/NBA career and appeared in two All-Star games.
Knight's best years were with the Indiana Pacers, after being selected by both the Pacers and the LA Lakers in the player draft. Knight was voted 1st team ABA All-Star for the 1975-1976 season, his second year in the league after averaging 28.1 ppg. This was the last year of the ABA before the Indiana Pacers merged into the NBA. The following year Knight maintained All-Star status, this time in the NBA after averaging 26.6 ppg. After a brief stint with the Buffalo Braves & Boston Celtics, Knight returned to the Pacers in 1978, where he continued his career with them until 1983.
Knight is the Indiana Pacers 3rd all-time leading scorer and is in several other Top 5 all-time categories for the Pacers. Prior to joining the Hawks organization in 2002, Knight worked as a front office executive with the Pacers and the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies. On May 7, 2008, Knight stepped down as Hawks GM. When announcing his resignation from the team he stated that he had left the Hawks "in much better shape than it was in when I took over."
Billy Knight
Billy Knight goes for a rebound in the 1974 Elite Eight during his college playing days at Pittsburgh
No. 25, 35 Shooting guard / Small forward
Born
June 9, 1952 (age 62)
Braddock, Pennsylvania
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
High School Braddock (Braddock, Pennsylvania)
College
Pittsburgh (1971-1974)
Consensus second-team All-American (1974)
No. 34 retired by the University of Pittsburgh
NBA Draft
1974 / Round: 2 / Pick: 21st overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Pro Career: 1974-1985
1974-1977 Indiana Pacers (ABA and NBA)
1977-1978 Buffalo Braves
1978-1979 Boston Celtics
1979-1983 Indiana Pacers
1983-1984 Kansas City Kings
1984-1985 San Antonio Spurs
1985-1986 CSP Limoges (France)
Career Highlights and Awards
ABA All-Star (1976)
NBA All-Star (1977)
All-ABA First Team (1976)
ABA All-Rookie First Team (1975)
Consensus second-team All-American (1974)
No. 34 retired by the University of Pittsburgh
Career ABA and NBA Statistics
Points: 13,901 (16.9 ppg)
Rebounds: 4,377 (5.3 rpg)
Assists: 1,862 (2.3 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
SOURCE LINK:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Knight
This post was edited on 2/12 2:40 AM by CaptainSidneyReilly
That Wikipedia entry was likely written by someone who doesn't have a clue that Braddock and General Braddock aren't the same school. It would have been just as accurate to call Knight an alumnus of Woodland Hills.
This post was edited on 2/15 12:12 AM by TempleBAPittMPA
And narduzzi is a household name ? Thats not what we need. You don't need to know him the big contributors do and older pitt fans do.
Its time we stop looking for the household name, or sexy pick, or high media name, etc. He was a succesful athelete here and we can't do any worse than pederson.
The under 40 crowd is not the big bosters they go to the games and most of them between 22-40 only if Pitt is winning,hence the empty seats at football games that are always talked about and the negative posts on here almost daily.
Its time we stop looking for the household name, or sexy pick, or high media name, etc. He was a succesful athelete here and we can't do any worse than pederson.
The under 40 crowd is not the big bosters they go to the games and most of them between 22-40 only if Pitt is winning,hence the empty seats at football games that are always talked about and the negative posts on here almost daily.
I don't want Billy Knight to be our athletic director either. I agree with the prevailing sentiment that Pitt needs a relatively young and energetic up and, who has proven that he can unite groups and raise money. Being the athletic director at a major university in a pro sports market is an extremely difficult job and requires an especially unique skill set. This is such an important hire that they need to take their time and do it right. Name recognition will only take you so far. That said, I do favor hiring Knight in some sort of a fundraising role. He would be an excellent guy to schmooze donors and to serve as an advisor to the athletic director.
Billy Knight was before my time too but anyone who describes themselves as a "huge Pitt basketball fan" and does not know the name Billy Knight or have a cursory understanding of his basketball career is by definition not a huge Pitt basketball fan.
You have to know the history of your program - at least in general terms. I am not saying that you need to know the guy like the back of your hand or even recognize him if he walked through the door. However, he was a phenomenal player here and you should know about his achievements. It would be like some 30 year-old dude wondering who the hell Charles Smith and Sean Miller were? That would be very strange, especially if they prefaced there question by asserting themselves as a huge fan of Pitt Panthers men's basketball.
Pitt did not start playing basketball when Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon first set foot on campus. Now, they have led us through our best era of prolonged success, but we had some pretty good teams and some very good players long before they arrived.
The sad truth of the matter is in the history of Pitt basketball we have not had more than a handful of special players and Billy Knight was one of them. To not know him or his achievements, especially considering the success he also enjoyed as a professional player and in management of a professional sports team, is definitely not an indictment of Billy Knight.
You have to know the history of your program - at least in general terms. I am not saying that you need to know the guy like the back of your hand or even recognize him if he walked through the door. However, he was a phenomenal player here and you should know about his achievements. It would be like some 30 year-old dude wondering who the hell Charles Smith and Sean Miller were? That would be very strange, especially if they prefaced there question by asserting themselves as a huge fan of Pitt Panthers men's basketball.
Pitt did not start playing basketball when Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon first set foot on campus. Now, they have led us through our best era of prolonged success, but we had some pretty good teams and some very good players long before they arrived.
The sad truth of the matter is in the history of Pitt basketball we have not had more than a handful of special players and Billy Knight was one of them. To not know him or his achievements, especially considering the success he also enjoyed as a professional player and in management of a professional sports team, is definitely not an indictment of Billy Knight.
If you think the only way to be a big fan of the current program, is to know and appreciate players and teams which happened before you're born..
well...
I'd suggest there is a difference between the present and past, especially when multiple decades are between them.
Likewise I don't have to know the history of each program when I'm watching various B12, B10, PAc12 games for entertainment.
well...
I'd suggest there is a difference between the present and past, especially when multiple decades are between them.
Likewise I don't have to know the history of each program when I'm watching various B12, B10, PAc12 games for entertainment.
Who is Wilbur Cooper?
He won more games for the Pittsburgh Pirates than any other pitcher.
Or did everybody know that?
He won more games for the Pittsburgh Pirates than any other pitcher.
Or did everybody know that?
I'm with wbr on this one. If you're a Pitt hoops fan, and particularly an alum, you should know the guys whose jerseys are hanging in the rafters.
If you'reca Pitt vasjrtball fan, you should particularly know that a Pitt guy was an NBA GM as recently as 2008 and has been so frequently referenced on this board. He was the star on the Pitt team with the longest winning streak and he may have had the longest NBA/ABA career of any Pitt player. He's one of the top 3 or 4 basketball players ever to come out of the Pittsburgh area.
If you'reca Pitt vasjrtball fan, you should particularly know that a Pitt guy was an NBA GM as recently as 2008 and has been so frequently referenced on this board. He was the star on the Pitt team with the longest winning streak and he may have had the longest NBA/ABA career of any Pitt player. He's one of the top 3 or 4 basketball players ever to come out of the Pittsburgh area.
74, little OT.... The other top players out of PITTsburgh in your opinion...
Connie Hawkins
BB
Lucas
Suzie
Any of the above/disagree...
Connie Hawkins
BB
Lucas
Suzie
Any of the above/disagree...
Connie Hawkins was definitely the face of professional basketball in Pittsburgh (such that it was), but . . . he was from Brooklyn.
Depending on your criteria, though, the list would have to include Pete Maravich (born in Aliquippa, but didn't stay there long due to papa Press' coaching career).
Temple, Could you imagine the points Pistol Pete would have had if 3 point line...
Connie Hawkins was a character, I played in his league for years.. Mellon Park and Rizensteins.
This post was edited on 2/17 6:07 PM by Pitt-Chains
Connie Hawkins was a character, I played in his league for years.. Mellon Park and Rizensteins.
This post was edited on 2/17 6:07 PM by Pitt-Chains
We're also forgetting guys like Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes who were standouts in the NBA when it was made up of only eight teams. I did get to see Twyman play on TV toward the end of his career. Stokes had his career cut short by his tragic illness before I was old enough to pay attention to sports.
Temple, Jack Twyman a little before my time... Maurice Stokes was a nice player.
Clyde Vaughn.... I remember my brother trying to go baseline... Picture is crystal clear.
Little OT, I did play against some decent Pittsburgh talent, still proud to say I dunked on Bruce Atkins..
Clyde Vaughn.... I remember my brother trying to go baseline... Picture is crystal clear.
Little OT, I did play against some decent Pittsburgh talent, still proud to say I dunked on Bruce Atkins..
Re OT: Best local players
To start, this should be on the hoops board. And, guys who didn't come from here but were only college players or imports don't count.
We probably could consider Tyman, who I never saw, Stokes, who I never saw and Marah, who really never played in Pittsburgh, but none went to college here. Tough to really evaluate Stokes who played mid-major at best and was crippled while still very young. Actually, tough to evaluate guys who played when the league was mostly white. I tend to consider the modern NBA as starting in the Chamberlin/Russell era. So, since it was my list, I'm arbitrarily eliminating guys before 1960.
That leaves out Hennon, who was right at the beginning of that era but went to Med School instead of the pros and definitely omits Dick Groat and Chuck Cooper. Generalovich was a nice college player who might have had a marginal pro career but also went to grad (Dental) school.
There were a lot of guys who were from Pittsburgh had good to very good college careers elsewhere and played well for a long time in the modern era in the pros: Mo Lucas, Kenny Durrett, Armin Gilliam, Gus Gerard, and Brad Davis. Guys like Dennis Wuycik, George Karl, Larry Anderson, Bill Varner, Wil Robinson, also had good college careers elsewhere but lessor pro histories. I'm arbitrarily eliminating these guys who went out of the region for college from the main criteria.
Do we count Altoona guys like Doug West and Danny Fortson as Pittsburghers? Both played college outside anyway, so I'd say no.
Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, Willie Somerset, Jack Marin, Sam Clancy, DeJuan Blair, Mel Bennett, Mickey Davis and Knight are locally born guys who played college here and had professional careers.
I can eliminate Hill, Somerset, Clancy, Bennett, Blair and Davis because their pro careers were limited or as journeymen.
That leaves Van Lier, Marin, and Knight under my criteria. So, that puts Billy Knight as one of the top 3 true locals.
To look at the bigger picture, besides the three "pure" Pittsburghers, I'll add back Maravich, Lucas, Brad Davis and Kenny Durrett without the injury as perhaps the best of modern era players with Pittsburgh roots. Maravich was obviously the highest professional scorer, with Lucas 2nd and Knight 3rd.
Pistol Pete was not really an impact NBA player. Big Mo Lucas was, winning a title beside Walton. Knight played mostly on bad teams but scored a lot. After Lucas as the best pro and Maravich as the best collegian, it becomes a matter of preference. I think Knight is as good or better than any of the remaining candidates here.
I may be missing someone but I worked with a 2012 PG article about top local players as a reference.
Obviously Connie Hawkins was not a Pittsburgher. Norm Nixon would fall into that class, too.
Not sure who you mean with BB? Flenory? Not in the class picture with the others. Great high school player and not bad at Duquesne, but not a pro. Often entertaining to watch though.
Suzie was a very good woman's player. But, she would have been lost on the court with the men.
To start, this should be on the hoops board. And, guys who didn't come from here but were only college players or imports don't count.
We probably could consider Tyman, who I never saw, Stokes, who I never saw and Marah, who really never played in Pittsburgh, but none went to college here. Tough to really evaluate Stokes who played mid-major at best and was crippled while still very young. Actually, tough to evaluate guys who played when the league was mostly white. I tend to consider the modern NBA as starting in the Chamberlin/Russell era. So, since it was my list, I'm arbitrarily eliminating guys before 1960.
That leaves out Hennon, who was right at the beginning of that era but went to Med School instead of the pros and definitely omits Dick Groat and Chuck Cooper. Generalovich was a nice college player who might have had a marginal pro career but also went to grad (Dental) school.
There were a lot of guys who were from Pittsburgh had good to very good college careers elsewhere and played well for a long time in the modern era in the pros: Mo Lucas, Kenny Durrett, Armin Gilliam, Gus Gerard, and Brad Davis. Guys like Dennis Wuycik, George Karl, Larry Anderson, Bill Varner, Wil Robinson, also had good college careers elsewhere but lessor pro histories. I'm arbitrarily eliminating these guys who went out of the region for college from the main criteria.
Do we count Altoona guys like Doug West and Danny Fortson as Pittsburghers? Both played college outside anyway, so I'd say no.
Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, Willie Somerset, Jack Marin, Sam Clancy, DeJuan Blair, Mel Bennett, Mickey Davis and Knight are locally born guys who played college here and had professional careers.
I can eliminate Hill, Somerset, Clancy, Bennett, Blair and Davis because their pro careers were limited or as journeymen.
That leaves Van Lier, Marin, and Knight under my criteria. So, that puts Billy Knight as one of the top 3 true locals.
To look at the bigger picture, besides the three "pure" Pittsburghers, I'll add back Maravich, Lucas, Brad Davis and Kenny Durrett without the injury as perhaps the best of modern era players with Pittsburgh roots. Maravich was obviously the highest professional scorer, with Lucas 2nd and Knight 3rd.
Pistol Pete was not really an impact NBA player. Big Mo Lucas was, winning a title beside Walton. Knight played mostly on bad teams but scored a lot. After Lucas as the best pro and Maravich as the best collegian, it becomes a matter of preference. I think Knight is as good or better than any of the remaining candidates here.
I may be missing someone but I worked with a 2012 PG article about top local players as a reference.
Obviously Connie Hawkins was not a Pittsburgher. Norm Nixon would fall into that class, too.
Not sure who you mean with BB? Flenory? Not in the class picture with the others. Great high school player and not bad at Duquesne, but not a pro. Often entertaining to watch though.
Suzie was a very good woman's player. But, she would have been lost on the court with the men.
Re: Re OT: Best local players
Harve, the names I mentioned were off of the top of the cranium.
You do mention players that should/would be counted.
I only mention Suzie for the sake of basketball, not to be sexist, woman can't compare.
Harve, the names I mentioned were off of the top of the cranium.
You do mention players that should/would be counted.
I only mention Suzie for the sake of basketball, not to be sexist, woman can't compare.
On the other hand, could you imagine what numbers Maravich would have had if he wasn't coached by his dad. The line about Dean Smith being the only man who could hold Michael Jordan under 20 points per game comes to mind here in reverse.
Re: Re OT: Best local players
Actually, Jack Marin (did any of his years at Farrell coincide with Somerset and Generalovich?) played college ball at Duke, and Simmie Hill (teammate of Norm Van Lier at Midland when the latter was simply Vanlier) played at West Texas State.
Re: Reply
I'm not saying you need to know every player who has ever played at Pitt. However, if the guy is one of a handful of people to have his number retired, and he has been the GM of an NBA team within the past decade, you absolutely should know about his career.
If you don't know about his career then in my view you are not a huge fan of the program, or at the very least you are not a very knowledgeable fan.
To draw a parallel, it would be a little like describing yourself as a huge Steelers fan and then confessing that you had no idea who Mel Blount or Lynn Swann were? I'm sorry but if a guy said that to me in a bar, I would find that utterly bizarre and I would dismiss him out of him as a serious Steelers fan. He would just be another guy and not someone whose opinion to which I would lend much credence. Hey would get a lot of blind agreement just to move the conversation along. I mean what is the point in arguing with a "huge Steelers fan" who doesn't even know some of the greatest players in the history of the organization?
We are not talking about some incidental no-name here. I am not asking you to recall guys like Keith Armstrong or Pat Cavanagh - pretty good players for us but nothing special. We are talking about one of the handful of players to have ever played at the University of Pittsburgh and had their jersey retired. We are also talking about a guy who went on to great success in the NBA and ABA as a player and later as an executive.
In fact, when you consider his entire career, it is difficult to argue that Billy Knight is the most successful person to ever come out of the University of Pittsburgh's men's basketball program. To not know who that guy is and to act like that is normal is very strange indeed. I'm sorry, I just find it completely bizarre - especially coming from someone who otherwise fancies himself to be a knowledgeable Pitt hoops fan. No, you are not.
H2P!
This post was edited on 2/18 4:57 PM by Dr. von Yinzer
I'm not saying you need to know every player who has ever played at Pitt. However, if the guy is one of a handful of people to have his number retired, and he has been the GM of an NBA team within the past decade, you absolutely should know about his career.
If you don't know about his career then in my view you are not a huge fan of the program, or at the very least you are not a very knowledgeable fan.
To draw a parallel, it would be a little like describing yourself as a huge Steelers fan and then confessing that you had no idea who Mel Blount or Lynn Swann were? I'm sorry but if a guy said that to me in a bar, I would find that utterly bizarre and I would dismiss him out of him as a serious Steelers fan. He would just be another guy and not someone whose opinion to which I would lend much credence. Hey would get a lot of blind agreement just to move the conversation along. I mean what is the point in arguing with a "huge Steelers fan" who doesn't even know some of the greatest players in the history of the organization?
We are not talking about some incidental no-name here. I am not asking you to recall guys like Keith Armstrong or Pat Cavanagh - pretty good players for us but nothing special. We are talking about one of the handful of players to have ever played at the University of Pittsburgh and had their jersey retired. We are also talking about a guy who went on to great success in the NBA and ABA as a player and later as an executive.
In fact, when you consider his entire career, it is difficult to argue that Billy Knight is the most successful person to ever come out of the University of Pittsburgh's men's basketball program. To not know who that guy is and to act like that is normal is very strange indeed. I'm sorry, I just find it completely bizarre - especially coming from someone who otherwise fancies himself to be a knowledgeable Pitt hoops fan. No, you are not.
H2P!
This post was edited on 2/18 4:57 PM by Dr. von Yinzer
Yeah, good point. Except this is more like not knowing who Roberto Clemente or Willie Stargell were.
Re: Re OT: Best local players
Marin was a sophomore when Generalovich and Somerset were seniors at Farrell. I do not believe that he played much varsity that season. (1960).
In terms of historical impact on the teams they played for, quite an appropriate comparison indeed.
