This Day In Cavs History: Brevin Knight Sets Rookie Record With 20 Assists

In the Cleveland Cavaliers' 110-101 win over the Washington Wizards, first-year NBA point guard Brevin Knight dished out a team-record-high 20 assists.

Throughout the 2023-24 NBA season, Spencer Davies is going to turn back the clock to milestone moments and important dates in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ past with “This Day In Cavs History.” Whether they’ve been good, bad or sad, these events were significant in the franchise’s 53-year existence.

Some accomplishments are meant to stand the test of time. For example, Brevin Knight's magical night 26 years ago may never be topped.

On Nov. 22, 1997 in a 110-101 win against the Washington Wizards, Knight selflessly shared the ball with his teammates and recorded 20 assists, a single-game Cavs franchise record for a rookie. 

The No. 16 overall pick and savvy Stanford alum wasted no time in showing his skills as a floor general that season, connecting with Shawn Kemp on the inside, Zydrunas Ilgauskas on pick-and-pops and Wesley Person beyond the arc. 

Knight, a respected dime-dropper over the course of his career, was entrusted with the starting point guard duties from the very beginning of Cleveland's season. It would be a tall task to follow Terrell Brandon (and Mark Price before him) at that position, but Knight did a terrific job of running the show.

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 9: Brevin Knight #12 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against Chicago Bulls on April 9, 1998 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio :: Andy Hayt/NBAE via Getty Images

That season, Knight averaged 9.0 points, 8.2 assists and 2.5 steals over 80 games. He shot 44.1 percent from the field and above 80 percent from the free-throw line. In total, Knight recorded six games with at least 15 assists or more.

While injuries would affect his height of potential with the Cavs overall, Knight ended up finding success elsewhere and put together a terrific 12-year career in the NBA.