Billy King was named as the Nets new general manager on July 14, 2010. As GM, King oversees all aspects of basketball operations for the team. King joins the Nets after spending 10 years with the Philadelphia 76ers organization, serving as the team’s president from 2003-2007.
King joined the 76ers in June, 1997 as vice president of basketball administration, a role in which he served as the point person for basketball operations. Less than a year later he was promoted to general manager, a position he held until being promoted to team president following the 2002-03 season.
During his 10-year tenure, King guided the team to five consecutive playoff appearances (1999-2003), including the 2000-01 season in which the Sixers captured the Atlantic Division title on the heels of a 56-26 season and went on to win their first Eastern Conference Championship since 1983, advancing to the 2001 NBA Finals.
Before joining the 76ers, King served as an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers under Larry Brown for four seasons. He joined the professional ranks after spending four seasons as an assistant at Illinois State University under Head Coach Bob Bender. He also spent one year as a color analyst for ESPN's basketball coverage of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Holding several roles within the USA Basketball program throughout his career, King has served as a member of USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Program Advisory Panel, on USA Basketball’s Board of Directors, as treasurer of USA Basketball and as an athlete representative on the 1997-2000 executive committee. King also served on the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Committees for the 1997-2000 and 2001-04 terms.
During his collegiate career, King was an outstanding defensive player on Duke University's nationally ranked teams in the late 1980s and received the Henry Iba Corinthian National Defensive Player of the Year award following his senior season. King helped the Blue Devils to a 112-27 record, an average of 28 wins per season as Duke went to the Final Four twice, won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championship and two ACC Tournament titles. In 1987, he helped the USA Basketball Men’s World University Games silver-medal squad to a 7-1 record.
King has been honored and recognized by numerous organizations for his dedication and commitment to success. In July 2000, he was honored as the Sports Executive of the Year at the Rainbow Sports Awards, reflecting not only his accomplishments in the sports industry, but also the grace, dignity, commitment and humanity that he exemplifies. In 2001, Street and Smith’s Business Journal named him one the industries "Forty under 40." He was also inducted into Duke University’s Hall of Honor on Dec. 2,
Born Jan. 23, 1966, King was a political science major at Duke and follows national and local politics closely. He is also a movie buff and previously hosted his own movie review show for WBNQ-Radio in Bloomington,
King resides in suburban Philadelphia with his wife, Melanie and their two children, daughter Natane and son, Reggie.