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Billy Thomas (basketball)

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Billy Thomas
Personal information
Born (1975-12-23) December 23, 1975 (age 48)
Shreveport, Louisiana
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolLoyola College Prep
(Shreveport, Louisiana)
CollegeKansas (1994–1998)
NBA draft1998: undrafted
Playing career1998–2010
PositionShooting guard
Number20, 12, 22
Career history
1999Kansas Cagerz
1999–2000Regatas
2000–2001Cincinnati Stuff
2001Kansas Cagerz
2001–2003Greenville Groove
2003Kansas Cagerz
2003–2004Coop Nordest Trieste
2004–2005Dakota Wizards
2005New Jersey Nets
2005–2006Dakota Wizards
2006Sioux Falls Skyforce
2006Washington Wizards
2006–2007Red Star Belgrade
2007Kansas Cagerz
2007–2008Colorado 14ers
2007–2008New Jersey Nets
2008Cleveland Cavaliers
2008–2009Kavala
2009Colorado 14ers
2009–2010Maine Red Claws
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Billy Thomas (born December 23, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and several other leagues. A 6'5" (1.96 m) tall shooting guard from Shreveport, Louisiana, he last played with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League. Billy Thomas is now the basketball head coach of Rockhurst High School

College career

In his college career, Thomas set a KU record making 269 3-point field goals (that record was later broken by Jeff Boschee). He also holds the school record for 3-point field goals made in a conference game, connecting on eight of them in a game against Texas on January 10, 1998.

Professional career

Thomas went undrafted after graduating from the University of Kansas in 1998.

In 2001, Thomas averaged 27.6 points in 10 games for the Tanduay Rhum Masters under coach Derick Pumaren in the Philippine Basketball Association.

In 2002–03, Thomas won the NBDL Sportsmanship Award while playing for the Greenville Groove.[1] He played for the Dakota Wizards of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and was named the CBA Newcomer of the Year and a member of the All-CBA First Team in 2005.[2]

He began his NBA career during the 2004–2005 season by signing a 10-day contract with the New Jersey Nets on January 20, 2005. Thomas later signed a second 10-day contract and eventually was signed for the remainder of the season. He appeared in 25 games that year and averaged 3.7 points per game.

On March 3, 2006, he signed a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards. He played in 17 games and averaged 2.2 points per game.

Thomas began the 2007–2008 season with the Colorado 14ers of the D-League. In 27 games (27 starts), prior to his second NBA call-up, Thomas averaged 15.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Thomas was selected to play in the 2008 D-League All-Star Game.

On December 24, 2007, Thomas was signed to a ten-day contract with the New Jersey Nets. He played in four games with the Nets, scoring a total of two points. On February 22, 2008, Thomas was signed to a ten-day contract by the Cleveland Cavaliers so they would have enough players to face the Washington Wizards that night, due to a depleted roster because of a blockbuster trade the day prior.[3] Thomas saw his first action as a Cavalier that very night, playing 19 minutes and scoring 9 points on three three-point shots. Thomas hoisted 11 three-point field goal attempts, his career high.[4]

On March 3, 2008, the Cavaliers signed Thomas to a second ten-day contract.[5] His contract expired on March 13, 2008, allowing him to become a free agent.

On March 20, 2008, Thomas returned to the Colorado 14ers.

On April 16, 2008, the Cavaliers signed Thomas for the remainder of the season and the 2008 playoffs.[6] He played in seven regular-season games for the Cavaliers scoring 12 total points (on four three-point field goals made) grabbed two rebounds and made one steal. Thomas logged eight minutes over three playoff games. He scored three points (on a three-point field goal) and had a rebound, an assist and a steal.

Thomas played for the Cavaliers' 2008 NBA Summer League team in Las Vegas. He started both games that he played and averaged five points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and a half a block per game.[7]

Thomas has played in numerous other leagues during his professional basketball career: the USBL, the CBA, the IBL, the D-League, the Argentine League, the Italian League, the Serbian League, the Adriatic League, the Greek League and the ULEB Cup.

On September 2, 2009, Thomas was drafted by the Maine Red Claws in the third round of the NBA Development League Expansion Draft.[citation needed]

Coaching career

Thomas is the owner of the "Billy Thomas Hoops Academy", located in Kansas City, Missouri.[citation needed] Beginning in the 2010–2011 season, Thomas was the head coach of the boy's varsity basketball team at The Barstow School in Kansas City, Missouri.[8] In the 2015–2016 season, the Barstow boys' basketball team was ranked first in the small school category by the Kansas City Star.[9] In 2021, he became the head coach for the Rockhurst High School basketball team.[10]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004–05 New Jersey 25 0 14.2 .362 .304 .778 1.4 .7 .6 .0 3.7
2005–06 Washington 17 0 7.7 .325 .333 1.000 .8 .5 .6 .1 2.2
2007–08 New Jersey 4 0 2.0 .000 .000 1.000 .0 .0 .0 .0 .5
2007–08 Cleveland 7 0 4.9 .286 .308 .000 .3 .0 .1 .0 1.7
Career 53 0 10.0 .338 .304 .846 1.0 .5 .5 .0 2.7

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2005 New Jersey 2 0 1.0 .000 .000 .000 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
2006 Washington 3 0 4.7 .000 .000 .500 .3 .0 .0 .0 .7
2008 Cleveland 3 0 2.7 .500 .500 .000 .3 .3 .3 .0 1.0
Career 8 0 3.0 .100 .167 .500 .3 .1 .1 .0 .6

Notes

  1. ^ Billy Thomas Selected as 2002–03 NBDL Sportsmanship Award Winner Archived June 10, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Billy Thomas minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  3. ^ Cavs sign minor-leaguers.
  4. ^ Billy Thomas Profile. Archived December 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Cavaliers Sign Dickens, Thomas To Second 10-Day Contracts.
  6. ^ Cavaliers Sign Billy Thomas.
  7. ^ Billy Thomas Summer League Statistics. Archived August 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Former Jayhawk Billy Thomas accepts high school coaching position". KUsports.com. October 16, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  9. ^ "The Star's high school basketball final rankings". kansascity. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  10. ^ "Former KU guard Billy Thomas named basketball coach at Rockhurst High School". KThe Kansas City Star. April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
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