Brandon Knight (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brandon Knight

Knight with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019
No. 20 – Capitanes de Arecibo
Shooting guard / Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1991-12-02) December 2, 1991 (age 33) Margate, Florida, U.S.
High school	Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	182 lb (83 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky (2010–2011)
NBA Draft	2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Pro career	2011–present
League	BSN
Career history
2011–2013	Detroit Pistons
2013–2015	Milwaukee Bucks
2015–2018	Phoenix Suns
2018–2019	Houston Rockets
2018	→ Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2019–2020	Cleveland Cavaliers
2020	Detroit Pistons
2021–2022	Sioux Falls Skyforce
2021–2022	Dallas Mavericks
2023–2024	Piratas de Quebradillas
2024	AEK Athens
2025–present	Capitanes de Arecibo
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2012) BSN Most Valuable Player (2023) BSN scoring champion (2023) First-team All-SEC (2011) SEC All-Freshman Team (2011) Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year (2010) 2× Gatorade National Player of the Year (2009, 2010) First-team Parade All-American (2010) Second-team Parade All-American (2009) McDonald's All-American (2010) 2× Florida Mr. Basketball (2009, 2010)

Brandon Emmanuel Knight (born December 2, 1991) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Capitanes de Arecibo in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league. Brandon was named Gatorade National Player of the Year twice. He played college basketball for Kentucky for one season. After that, the Detroit Pistons chose him in the 2011 NBA draft. He played for the Pistons for two seasons. Later, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and then to the Phoenix Suns. He also played for the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Brandon Knight was born in Miami, Florida. He went to Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Brandon was a great student and athlete. He had a very high grade-point average.

In his junior year (2008–09), he scored about 31 points per game. He also got 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game. As a senior (2009–10), he averaged 32.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was named Gatorade National Player of the Year in both years. In 2010, he also won Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year.

Brandon led Pine Crest to four state championship games. His team won state titles in 2008 and 2009. He was also named the best basketball player in his class four times by the Miami Herald. He won Florida Mr. Basketball twice. His 3,515 career points are the second-highest in Florida high school basketball history.

After high school, Brandon played in several important games. These included the McDonald's All-American Game and the Nike Hoop Summit. In the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game, he made a three-pointer at the last second. This shot gave his team a 107–104 win.

Brandon was a top basketball player in 2010. He decided to play for the University of Kentucky.

College Basketball Career

As a freshman at Kentucky, Brandon Knight played 38 games. He averaged 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. He shot well from the field and from three-point range.

He set new records for Kentucky freshmen. He scored 657 points and made 87 three-pointers. He also had 14 games where he scored 20 points or more. Brandon led his team in scoring during SEC games. He earned First-Team All-SEC honors.

In the 2011 NCAA tournament, Brandon scored a career-high 30 points. This was against West Virginia. He then scored 22 points against North Carolina. He was named the Most Outstanding Player for the NCAA East Region.

In April 2011, Brandon decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would not play his last three years of college basketball.

Professional Basketball Journey

Playing for the Detroit Pistons (2011–2013)

Knight with the Pistons in February 2013

The Detroit Pistons chose Brandon Knight as the eighth pick in the 2011 NBA draft. In May 2012, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He was the first Pistons rookie since Grant Hill to get this honor.

Brandon scored 847 points in his rookie season. This was the second-most by a Pistons rookie since 1985. He averaged 12.8 points per game. He played 141 games for the Pistons over two seasons. He averaged 13.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He scored in double figures 92 times.

Time with the Milwaukee Bucks (2013–2015)

On July 31, 2013, Brandon was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He joined Khris Middleton and Viacheslav Kravtsov in the trade. His first season with the Bucks started with a hamstring injury. This made him miss several games.

On December 31, 2013, Brandon scored a career-high 37 points. This helped the Bucks win against the Los Angeles Lakers. He had his best season yet as a professional player. He led the team in both scoring and assists.

On November 19, 2014, Brandon missed an easy layup at the end of a game. But he made up for it by hitting a three-pointer to force a third overtime. The Bucks won that game 122–118. On January 15, 2015, he had 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and a career-high 6 steals. He was leading the team in scoring and assists before the All-Star break. He averaged 17.8 points, 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals.

Years with the Phoenix Suns (2015–2018)

Knight guarded by Dorian Finney-Smith while with the Suns in January 2017

On February 19, 2015, Brandon was traded to the Phoenix Suns. He missed some games due to an ankle injury. He also had surgery for a heel bone bruise.

On July 17, 2015, Brandon signed a new five-year contract with the Suns. On November 12, he tied his career high with 37 points. Four days later, he achieved his first career triple-double. He had 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists. He was one of only a few players to get such high numbers at a young age. On November 20, Brandon set a new career high with 38 points.

He missed time in early 2016 with a left adductor strain. On March 12, he scored 30 points and made seven three-pointers. He did this again on March 28. On April 3, he was out for the rest of the season due to the same injury. He had surgery a few days later.

In the 2016–17 season, Brandon often came off the bench. He missed the entire 2017–18 season. This was because he tore a ligament in his left knee in July 2017 and needed surgery.

Short Stints with Other Teams (2018–2022)

On August 31, 2018, Brandon was traded to the Houston Rockets. He was trying to recover from his knee injury. He was assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA G League for rehab. He played his first game for the Rockets on December 13, 2018. He played 12 games for them before being sidelined again with knee soreness.

On February 7, 2019, Brandon was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He made his debut for them two days later. On February 6, 2020, he was traded back to the Detroit Pistons.

In March 2021, Brandon worked out with the Milwaukee Bucks. On October 23, 2021, he was chosen by the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League draft. He played well, averaging 21.3 points per game. On December 23, 2021, he signed a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He was reacquired by Sioux Falls after the contract ended.

Playing in Puerto Rico (2023–Present)

On March 14, 2023, Brandon Knight signed with the Piratas de Quebradillas in Puerto Rico. He was named the 2023 BSN Most Valuable Player. He also became the 2023 BSN Scoring Champion. He averaged 24.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.2 three-pointers per game.

In February 2025, Brandon was traded to the Capitanes de Arecibo. He continues to play for them.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season Stats

College Stats

Personal Life

Brandon Knight's parents are Efrem and Tonya Knight. He is a Christian.

See also

In Spanish: Brandon Knight para niños