Former UCLA basketball player Billy Knight was found on a Phoenix roadway early Sunday morning and pronounced dead shortly afterwards by the Phoenix Fire Department. Knight was 39 years old.
Knight played for the Bruins from 1997-2002, where he averaged 8.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Each season they advanced to the NCAA Tournament under Steve Lavin and reached the regional semifinals in his final three seasons.
The news of Knight's death comes just days after another former UCLA player, Tyler Honeycutt, apparently fatally shot himself during a standoff with police in Los Angeles on Friday. Honeycutt played for UCLA from 2009-11.
Before Knight died, he posted a video to the internet several days before titled "I am Sorry Lord," wherein he said he didn't feel he belonged on Earth. In a shaking voice, Knight also expressed his regrets over his "life of sin."
Our hearts are heavy after learning Billy Knight has passed away. We ask that the Bruin family keep Billy’s loved ones in their thoughts during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/9WssEUnvbY
— UCLA Basketball (@UCLAMBB) July 10, 2018
Authorities say there was no foul play involved in Knight's death, and a medical examiner report determined it was death by suicide. According to ESPN, he suffered multiple blunt force injuries to the head.
In Knight's final season at UCLA, he averaged 14.1 points, behind Jason Kapono, but went undrafted in the 2002 NBA Draft. He went on to play professionally in the D-League as well as in France and Japan.
