Like so many other accomplished college basketball players, Duke forward Billy King's dream was to play basketball on the professional level. And after being named the national defensive player of the year his senior season and excelling as a co-captain for a Duke team that made it to the Final Four in 1988, King's dreams were not far-fetched.
However, King's pro career was short-lived: He was cut by the Sacramento Kings in the summer of 1988, only months after graduating. Instead of dwelling on his misfortune, though, King decided that the next best thing to playing basketball would be working for a basketball organization. This time, under the tutelage of coaches like Mike Krzyzewski and Larry Brown, and with a few lucky breaks, King's new dream came true. And it was no surprise to those around him.
"He's very personable, he's articulate, and he's very likeable, so I had no doubts that he would be successful at whatever he chose," former teammate and current Duke assistant coach Johnny Dawkins said.
King now works as the general manager for the Philadelphia 76ers and his personnel moves have been among the most important factors in transforming the franchise from cellar dweller to championship contender. Only months after taking over the GM helm in 1997, he orchestrated a nine-player deal that laid the blueprint for Philadelphia's success. Later, he solidified this success by trading for center Dikembe Mutombo late in last year's regular season.
That gamble of trading the ever-improving Theo Ratliff for the seasoned veteran Mutombo paid off--the 76ers entered the Eastern Conference playoffs as the No. 1 seed and advanced to the NBA Finals before finally succumbing to Shaquille O'Neal's
"I think we'll be good," said King, when asked how he believes his team will fare next year. "We've laid the groundwork--injuries do have a key in how you play--but I think our guys have now experienced the taste of success. They want to continue to be this good. There's a saying that goes, Olosing is habitual, but so is winning.'"
If there's anyone who understands this maxim, it is King, whose Duke teams compiled a 112-27 record in his four years in Durham. Although the Blue Devils never won a national championship during his college career, King nonetheless has a number of happy memories that he looks back upon today.
"My senior year beating Carolina three times and winning the ACC championship was really a great experience," he said. "The Notre Dame game [where he shut down All-American David Rivers], the Temple game [when he stifled All-American Mark Macon], those were great games, but mainly playing in Cameron every game was the best experience I've ever had in my life."
Of course, not all of King's most memorable experiences at Duke came on the basketball court. One of the general manager's favorite pastimes as a student was going to the movies every Sunday, a tradition he has maintained since his college days. This fetish for the flicks even landed King a second job at a radio station in Bloomington, Illin. when he was an assistant at Illinois State in the early 90s.
"Me, Danny [Ferry], Quin [Snyder], and Kevin Strickland would go to the movies," King said. "I still stick to that today and I have a passion for movies. [The radio station]
After his stint at Illinois State, King was hired as an NBA assistant coach under Pacers head man Larry Brown, who had recruited the skinny forward while Brown was coaching at Kansas. He stayed in Indianapolis for four seasons until he moved with Brown to Philadelphia in 1997, where he landed a job in the 76ers front office. Impressed by King's aptitude and persuaded by Brown, Sixers president Pat Croce promoted King to general manager in August of 1997.
Although he is quite content with his current working environment, King has not ruled out the possibility of coaching in the future. Clearly, the strong connections he has created around the league with all of his personnel moves, not to mention having two of America's most influential coaches--Larry Brown and Mike Krzyzewski--on his side, will be very helpful in whatever job King pursues.
But for now, King will concentrate on taking the Sixers to an even higher level, and not surprisingly, Krzyzewski thinks Philadelphia has just the right man for the job.
"I couldn't be more proud of a guy," Krzyzewski said of his former pupil. "For us, part of our goal is not just to produce players, but to produce successful human beings.... Billy's a perfect example of that; he looked to play a little bit himself and decided that it was not going to be for him.
"And all of the sudden he becomes GM and now he's one of the best ones in the business. I would like to think that the things he learned here at Duke helped him have the courage to follow his heart and go into all those areas. He's been incredibly successful."
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