Billy Thomas
Encyclopedia
For the Wales international footballer see Billy Thomas (footballer)
Billy Thomas (footballer)
William Rees "Billy" Thomas was a Wales international football player. He attained 2 caps for the Wales national football team in 1930 against England and Scotland. Thomas played his club football for Newport County....



Billy Thomas (born December 23, 1975 in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....

) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 former professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player. A 6'5" (1.96 m) tall shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...

, he last played with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...

.

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
Jeff Boschee
Jeffrey Allen Boschee is an American basketball player and coach. He currently serves as an assistant coach of the men's team at Missouri Southern State University. Boschee played guard at the University of Kansas from 1998 to 2002. He was named Mr...

). 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
Texas Longhorns men's basketball
The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference....

 on January 10, 1998.

Professional career

Thomas went undrafted
Undrafted
An undrafted sportsperson or undrafted free agent is specific type of sportsperson who plays, or attempts to play, in a professional sports league without first being selected in a draft....

 after graduating from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...

 in 1998.

In 2001, Thomas averaged 27.6 points in 10 games for the Tanduay Rhum Masters
Tanduay Rhum Masters
The Tanduay Rhum Masters is a former Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association , Philippine Basketball Association and Philippine Basketball League basketball team.-History:...

 under coach Derick Pumaren in the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...

.

He began his NBA career during the 2004-2005 season
2004-05 NBA season
The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....

 by signing a 10-day contract with the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 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
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...

. He played in 17 games and averaged 2.2 points per game.

Thomas began the 2007-2008 season with the Colorado 14ers
Colorado 14ers
The Colorado 14ers were a team in the NBA Development League which began play in 2006-07. They were affiliated with the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors of the NBA. The 14ers played their home games at the Broomfield Event Center in the Denver suburb of Broomfield, Colorado. ...

 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
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

. 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
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...

 so they would have enough players to face the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...

 that night, due to a depleted roster because of a blockbuster trade the day prior. 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 goals attempts, his career high.

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

On March 20, 2008, Thomas returned to the Colorado 14ers
Colorado 14ers
The Colorado 14ers were a team in the NBA Development League which began play in 2006-07. They were affiliated with the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors of the NBA. The 14ers played their home games at the Broomfield Event Center in the Denver suburb of Broomfield, Colorado. ...

.

On April 16, 2008, the Cavaliers signed Thomas for the remainder of the season and the 2008 playoffs. 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
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...

 team in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...

. He started both games that he played and averaged five points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and a half a block per game.

Thomas has played in numerous other leagues during his professional basketball career: the USBL
United States Basketball League
The United States Basketball League , often abbreviated to the USBL, was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985. The final champions are the Kansas Cagerz, who won the title game on July 1, 2007.-History:...

, the CBA
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...

, the IBL, the D-League, the Argentine League
Liga Nacional de Básquetbol
The Liga Nacional de Básquet is the top level of the Argentine basketball league system. The league is controlled by the Basketball Clubs' Association...

, the Italian League
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...

, the Serbian League
Naša Sinalko Liga
-Champions:* 2006–07 to present: Basketball League of Serbia-Championship winning teams:* Including titles in SFR Yugoslavia, FR Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro and Serbia-Euroleague:-Eurocup:Ex. European Cup Winner's Cup, Saporta Cup...

, the Adriatic League,the Greek League
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...

 and the ULEB Cup
ULEB Cup
Eurocup Basketball is the second-tier level transnational professional basketball competition in Europe. The Eurocup is the level that is one tier below the Turkish Airlines Euroleague level...

.

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

Coaching career

Thomas is the owner of the "Billy Thomas Hoops Academy," located in Kansas City, Missouri. Beginning in the 2010-2011 season, Thomas is also the head coach of the boys varsity basketball team at The Barstow School in Kansas City, Missouri.

Regular season

|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...


| 25 || 0 || 14.2 || .362 || .304 || .778 || 1.4 || .7 || .6 || .0 || 3.7
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...


| 17 || 0 || 7.7 || .325 || .333 || 1.000 || .8 || .5 || .6 || .1 || 2.2
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...


| 4 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || 1.000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .5
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...


| 7 || 0 || 4.9 || .286 || .308 || .000 || .3 || .0 || .1 || .0 || 1.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 53 || 0 || 10.0 || .338 || .304 || .846 || 1.0 || .5 || .5 || .0 || 2.7

Playoffs

|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | New Jersey
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...


| 2 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...


| 3 || 0 || 4.7 || .000 || .000 || .500 || .3 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .7
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...


| 3 || 0 || 2.7 || .500 || .500 || .000 || .3 || .3 || .3 || .0 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 8 || 0 || 3.0 || .100 || .167 || .500 || .3 || .1 || .1 || .0 || .6

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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