Sport: Basketball
Born: November 8, 1975
Town: East Orange, New Jersey
Brevin Adon Knight was born November 8, 1975 in Livingston and grew up in East Orange, NJ. He was the first of two accomplished basketball players in the family. Brandin, six years younger, also played pro ball. A bright student and accomplished athlete, Brevin burst onto the New Jersey prep basketball scene in 1991, when he helped Seton Hall Prep win a state basketball championship.
Brevin was the Pirates’ 5’10” floor general. Teaming with Pat Bosworth, Chris Couzen and Ira Bowman, Brevin helped SHP repeat as champs in 1992 and 1993, earning All-State recognition in the process.
Interest in Brevin was lukewarm among Division I recruiters, primarily because of his size. But the combination of strong floor leadership and academics convinced Mike Montgomery of Stanford University to offer him a scholarship. Brevin rewarded Montgomery’s confidence with a stellar college career. He led Stanford to 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament berths as a sophomore, junior and senior—and was named team MVP in each of those seasons.
In 1996–97, his final varsity season, Brevin helped Stanford get to the Sweet Sixteen. He graduated as the school’s all-time leader in assists and steals, and scored 1,714 points—good for third on Stanford’s career list. He was a second-team All-American in 1997.
Later that spring, Brevin was drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was the team’s starting point guard for three seasons. In his first year, he had the most steals per game in the NBA and was named to the first-team All-Rookie squad. He averaged over 9 points and 7 assists per game all three years.
Injuries slowed Brevin’s career after that, and he bounced from roster to roster until 2004, when he was acquired by the Charlotte Bobcats in the expansion draft. Brevin averaged a career-best 9.0 assists per game in 2004–05 and 12.6 points per game in 2005–06. He finished his pro career with the Utah Jazz in 2009.
After leaving the NBA, Brevin turned his attention to the foundation he runs with his wife, Deena. He also joined the Fox broadcast team covering Memphis Grizzlies games.