Knight has his day in Braddock

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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