Robert Fred Knight (April 30, 1929 – May 23, 2008) was an American professional basketball player. He did not play basketball at high school or college. Knight made his professional debut with the Hartford Hurricanes of the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1947 as the first African-American player signed by the club. He played in the ABL between 1947 and 1953, winning a league championship with the Manchester British-Americans in 1953.
On November 26, 1954, Knight signed with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He had left a strong impression on the team after he scored 30 points against them in an exhibition game in 1952. Knight played two games for the New York Knicks and averaged 3.5 points per game. On December 1, he was released by the Knicks. On February 16, 1955, he led Nassif Arms, a semi-pro team from Manchester, Connecticut, to a 91–71 victory over the NBA's Milwaukee Hawks. He was the game's leading scorer with 25 points and held All-Star Frank Selvy to eight points.
During the late 1940s and early 1950s, Knight played on-and-off for the Harlem Globetrotters. He played in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) for the Scranton Miners during the 1961–62 season and the New Haven Elms from 1965 to 1967.
Career statistics
NBA Source
Regular season YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPGNew York214.5.4291.000.54.03.5
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