Billy King (basketball)

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Billy King

| image = Billy King rainbow shot, Duke Chronicle 1986-03-10.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = King making a rainbow shot in 1986

| position =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 6

| weight_lb =

| league =

| team =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|01|23}}

| birth_place = Sterling, Virginia, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = Park View
(Sterling, Virginia)

| college = Duke (1984–1988)

| career_start =

| career_end =

| career_position = Small forward

| career_number = 55

| coach_start =

| coach_end =

| cyears1 =

| cteam1 =

| highlights =

NABC Defensive Player of the Year (1988)

| medal_templates = {{MedalSport | Men's Basketball}}

{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}

}}

Billy Matthew King (born January 23, 1966) is an American basketball executive. He is the former general manager of the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers NBA teams, as well as former team president of the 76ers.

Early life and education

King grew up in Sterling, Virginia where he played basketball at Park View High School.

File:Billy King, Duke Chronicle 1985-11-21.jpg

He received a scholarship to play at Duke University and wore jersey number 55. He was known primarily for his tough defense. In his senior season, he served as a captain of Duke's 1988 Final Four team and was named NABC National Defensive Player of The Year.

Sports Business Journal March FEb 12, 2024

Post-playing career

King served as an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers for four seasons under Larry Brown. He joined the professional ranks after spending four seasons as an assistant at Illinois State University under head coach Bob Bender. King also spent one year as a color analyst for ESPN's men's basketball coverage of the Ohio Valley Conference.

King then joined the Philadelphia 76ers on June 2, 1997, as vice president of basketball administration. On May 19, 1998, he was promoted to general manager, and on April 5, 2000, he signed a new contract to stay with the team for an extended term. On May 26, 2003, he was named president along with general manager.

In 2005, King and other individuals became prominent investors in a Foxwoods Resort Casino proposed for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.{{cite web|url=http://www.foxwoodspa.com/overview/|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823072632/http://foxwoodspa.com/overview/|archivedate=August 23, 2009|title=Overview|work=foxwoodspa.com|accessdate=January 13, 2017}} In September 2008, facing massive opposition at the originally proposed waterfront location, backers for the slots casino decided to seek a new location in the Center City area, next to Philadelphia's Chinatown community.{{cite web |title=DiCicco gets earful at Foxwoods forum |url=https://whyy.org/articles/4068/ |website=WHYY |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |date=October 9, 2008}} As of January 2009, the casino did not have a building permit.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

On December 4, 2007, the 76ers replaced King with former New Jersey Nets general manager Ed Stefanski.{{cite web |title=Stefanski replaces King as 76ers' general manager |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=3140824 |website=ESPN.com |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |date=December 4, 2007}}

On July 14, 2010, King was hired as a general manager for the New Jersey Nets, replacing former Nets president and general manager Rod Thorn. As general manager of the Nets, King's legacy in the NBA was hurt by a series of oft-criticized trades that were deemed among the "worst in league history", notably trading multiple unprotected first-round picks to the Boston Celtics (two of which would later become All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum) in exchange for older star-quality players in Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce alongside Jason Terry.{{cite web |last1=Mazzeo |first1=Mike |title=Billy King era comes to a merciful end for Nets |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/14545999/billy-king-era-comes-merciful-end-brooklyn-nets |website=ESPN.com |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |date=January 10, 2016}}{{cite web |last1=Cuesta |first1=Alexander |title=Nets Fans Should Give Billy King a Pass |url=https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/nets-fans-should-give-billy-king-a-pass-012417 |website=FOX Sports |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |date=June 30, 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Bondy |first1=Stefan |title=Worst trade ever: Looking back (and forward) on '13 draft when Nets went 'all-in' on deal for Celtics' Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/worst-trade-back-nets-celtics-deal-2013-article-1.3255407 |website=nydailynews.com |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701025813/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/worst-trade-back-nets-celtics-deal-2013-article-1.3255407 |archivedate=July 1, 2019 |date=June 18, 2017}}{{cite web | url=https://www.si.com/nba/nets/news/how-former-nets-gm-billy-king-helped-fuel-the-2024-boston-celtics-powerhouse-01hzwzjk798m | title=How Former Nets GM Billy King Helped Refuel the 2024 Boston Celtics Powerhouse | date=June 9, 2024 }} On January 10, 2016, it was announced that the Nets had reassigned King.{{cite web|title=Nets Part Ways With Head Coach Lionel Hollins|url=http://www.nba.com/nets/news/2016/01/10/nets-part-ways-with-head-coach-lionel-hollins|website=NBA.com|date=January 10, 2016|accessdate=January 10, 2016}} His position would be replaced by former NBA player and San Antonio Spurs assistant general manager Sean Marks.{{cite magazine |title=Nets hire Sean Marks as general manager |url=https://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/18/brooklyn-nets-sean-marks-hired-general-manager |magazine=Sports Illustrated |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |date=February 18, 2016}}

On October 2, 2019, it was announced that King was joining the morning sport talk radio show on 94 WIP in Philadelphia.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

On March 28, 2022, Billy King was hired by Modern Executive Solutions as a Senior Partner Head of Sports and Entertainment.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

On February 12, 2024, Billy King joined ZRG Partners and TurnkeyZRG as a managing director.