The Boston Celtics have had players suiting up in a total of 68 different jersey numbers (and have three others not part of any numerical series) since their founding at the dawn of the Basketball Association of America (BAA — the league that would become today’s NBA), worn by well over 500 players in the course of Celtics history.
To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Celtics Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.
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With 25 of those jerseys today retired to honor some of the greatest Celtics to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.
Oct 18, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The number 6 is seen on the Boston Celtics jersey honoring Celtic great Bill Russell during the third quarter of the game between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
And for today’s article, we will continue with the third of six people to wear the No. 35, Boston wing alum Billy Knight. After ending his college career at Pitt, Knight was picked up with the 21st overall selection of the 1974 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Braddock, Pennsylvania native would play the first three seasons of his pro career with the Indiana Pacers instead, however, signing into the ABA and sticking with Indy as they merged into the NBA. He would also play for the (then) Buffalo Braves (today, Boston Celtics – it’s a long story) before they dealt him to Boston in 1978.
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His stay with the team would span just 40 games before he was dealt back to the Pacers in 1979. During his time suiting up for the Celtics, Knight wore only jersey No. 35 and put up 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics jersey history No. 35 – Billy Knight (1978-79)
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