Pratik Handore
HBO’s ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty‘ is a sports drama series that showcases the careers of several NBA superstars of the 1980s, such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, it also references the career of lesser-known players who many believe failed to achieve the heights their talents implied they were capable of reaching. One such name mentioned in the show’s second season premiere is Toby Knight. Given the series highlights Toby Knight’s declining NBA career, viewers must be wondering what the former basketball player is up to these days.
Toby Knight Runs a Small Business
The premiere episode of season 2 of ‘Winning Time,’ titled ‘One Ring Don’t Make a Dynasty,’ references Toby Knight as one of the players who suffered a knee injury like Magic Johnson and never truly recovered. Aside from other names, such as Dave DeBusschere and Doug Collins, Knight is particularly mentioned since he was actively playing at the same time as Magic and had made his NBA debut only a few years ago. In reality, Toby Thomas Knight was born on May 3, 1955, in the Bronx, New York. Knight attended Port Jefferson High School in Port Jefferson, New York, and played for its high school basketball team.
Knight took his first steps toward professional basketball during his time at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. The 6 foot 9 inches Power Forward appeared for the Notre Dame basketball team between 1973 to 1977. Knight’s performances at the college level were enough to convince the New York Knicks to pick him as the 32nd overall pick in the 1977 NBA draft. He made his NBA debut on December 30, 1977, against the New Jersey Nets, playing 21 minutes and contributing 7 points as the Knicks defeated their opponents. Knight would see his game time and performance steadily improve over the next two seasons. He averaged 17.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game over the next two seasons.
Knight’s NBA career would receive a major setback on September 23, 1980, when he suffered torn ligaments in his left knee during a preseason game. After surgery on his knee, Knight was left on the sidelines recuperating and missed the entirety of the 1980-81 season. While Knight returned for the following season, his performances dipped drastically, and the Knicks waived him off in the Summer of 1983. Although Knight was optimistic about continuing his basketball career at the time of his injury, he retired at the age of just 28 years old. Following his retirement, Knight would almost disappear from the public for decades.
Currently, little is known about Knight’s personal life, and he appears to be a private person. He worked as a Regional Manager at Porter Athletic Equipment Company from 1991 to 2006. He was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in 1992. Knight founded Knight Athletics Inc. alongside Marianne Knight (presumably his wife) in 2006. The company offers installation, maintenance, and other services at theaters, athletic facilities, and auditoriums all over Western Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Knight Athletics Inc. also supplies sporting equipment and goods. He served as the company’s President for almost 17 years. The H2I Group acquired the business in 2021, with Knight named the Ohio Valley Sales Manager. Knight currently resides with his family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ultimately, Knight seems to have moved away from the limelight of his professional basketball days, and his struggles with injuries and untapped potential on the court serve as a cautionary tale for young athletes.
