UCLA Basketball: Former Bruin Billy Knight dead at the age of 39
After one unfortunate occurrence with a member of the UCLA basketball family, another transpired on Sunday as former Bruin Billy Knight was found dead on a Phoenix highway early Sunday morning.
I am not going to lie. It has been a rough few days for the UCLA basketball… no, sorry… the entire UCLA community. Within two days, two former Bruins, Tyler Honeycutt and Billy Knight, have been found dead. And it is not because they have simply passed, it is because both have passed by their own hand.
RELATED: Former Bruin Tyler Honeycutt Found Dead After Shootout
I find it hard to put words together at the moment. This kind of thing does not happen often. How do you explain this? Or report on this? Maybe from an outsider’s perspective, this is simply an unfortunate event. But for those that are on the inside, are family, are alumni, are teammates, are supporters… it is more than that.
Our hearts are heavy after learning Billy Knight has passed away. We ask that the Bruin family keep Billy’s loved ones in their thoughts during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/9WssEUnvbY
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) July 10, 2018
Billy Knight was found dead on a Phoenix highway at 2:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. Authorities report no foul play.
Knowing that he is a guy you played with or worked with or cheered for is now gone, is a hard thing to comprehend, especially as he was only 39. Tyler Honeycutt was 27. This did not need to happen to either of them.
But it has.
And it hurts.
You do not have to know someone personally for them to have an effect on your life, big or small. Knight and Honeycutt fell into that category, specifically because they were integral parts of our lives that have an overwhelming love for UCLA basketball.
Anyone that is lucky enough to put on those iconic white jerseys with those four letters across the chest will always be remembered and always have a special place in our hearts.
Knight had posted an arcane video on YouTube titled, “I am Sorry Lord”. In it he talks about the wrongs he has committed in life and essentially asks for forgiveness. And why not? Coming to the realization that you have hurt a great many people during your existence can be eye-opening and transformative. Unfortunately, in Knight’s case, it came too late. There was no time to ask for help.
But there was. There always was.
But that does not matter anymore. RIP Billy. RIP Tyler.
Once again, for those that need it, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255.