Former UCLA basketball player Billy Knight was found dead just before 3 a.m. Sunday morning on a Phoenix roadway two days after he posted a suicidal video on YouTube.
In the video titled “I am Sorry Lord,” Knight voices regrets over his “life of sin” and revealed he hears voices in his head. He mentioned that mental illness is real and asked people going through that to seek for help. He also said he grew up being a religious person but has now lost his way. He then begged God to forgive him for what he was about to do.
“This will probably be my last message on earth,”
‘I wasn’t honest with a lot of people… even my mom, my brother and my family members. I isolated myself from my family members, I isolated myself from my friends. That’s not something you should do,’ he said.
‘I was a taker… and that’s why my life ended up where it is now. Life is not a game. You can’t play around with life. It’s serious.’
Knight said, while speaking about his personal battles, that he hopes the honest video would help others seek the help that he never did.
‘What I want to say… I just want to help somebody out there who’s feeling like me. Maybe an ex-athlete, maybe someone who is changing jobs. I just want to at least try to help them out.
‘If you’re feeling like this, please get help… don’t let this linger on. Mental illness is serious.’
Knight spoke about feelings of loneliness without a significant other and suggested he had lost all of the friends he once had.
He was reduced to tears when he spoke about his beloved brother, Eric.
‘Eric, man, I treated you bad, too,’ Knight sobbed. ‘But I still love you, man. I love you more than anything.’
Knight began in the video and ended it in tears. 2 days after the video was uploaded, the former Westchester High standout and UCLA swingman was found dead along a road near a construction site. He was 39.
No evidence of foul play was suspected, police said. It is believed he committed suicide.
The tragedy was the second of its kind for the UCLA family in just 24 hours.
On Saturday, former UCLA forward Tyler Honeycutt was pronounced dead at 3.45am at his Sherman Oaks residence after a police standoff, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed in a social media statement.
Honeycutt reportedly suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound following the altercation with police at his home, the department said.
Watch the video below.
Video credit: Mirror