By Avery Martin
Contributor
Sport and entertainment management major Dejon Knight, a graduate, is the manager of the men’s basketball team. He used to play, but by the time he was in eighth grade, keeping up with teammates was becoming harder and harder.
When a coach recommended he make the switch from player, Knight was not thrilled.
“I think a lot of kids just want to play the sport that they want to play, and they kind of want to be involved. And I think me being a manager was a way for me to be involved, but it wasn’t a way for me to be involved in the way that I wanted to, in a sense. So, it was tough,” Knight said.
Knight was born with cerebral palsy, which affects his ability to walk. As he got older, the sport he loved became more difficult to pursue. Becoming a manager allowed him to still be involved with the New Haven basketball culture he had long been steeped in.
He came around to the idea, and by the time he transferred to the university from Gateway Community College as a junior in 2023, he had found his niche: he became a guide for players and a trusted source for coaches.
Knight prides himself on his work. He provides an outlet for players and coaches to discuss strategy and helps out of state athletes adjust during their first collegiate seasons.
Knight said the team coaches treat him like a player but trust him like the coaching staff. It is a dynamic that he has worked hard to balance.
“I’m pretty confident in myself and how much trust that I have with the coaches,” Knight said. “I will always be validated within the team, but it means something to know that at times my word kind of means something.”
Knight is close with the players, too. Connecticut’s basketball community is tightknit, and Knight is well known among his peers. He counts NBA and semi-professional players among his friends.
“Growing up when you’re playing basketball in Connecticut, a lot of times, whether you’re a star or just like a role player, you kind of meet a lot of different people from different towns,” forward Kazell Stewart, a senior, said.
Stewart, who is also Knight’s roommate, said that their relationship has taught him a lot off the court.
“He just taught me to look at things in a different perspective. Just outside of basketball, perceiving myself as who I am as a person, and coming into every situation being very humble,” Stewart said. “He’s a very great person. He’s very outgoing. He’s very kind, so he gave me a better outlook on life.”
Guard Isaac Hester, a junior, is still new to Connecticut’s basketball community and Knight’s influence. Even so, he also credits him for changing his outlook on life.
“Dejon has taught me to be patient even when things aren’t going my way,” Hester said. “He always reminds me to keep my head down and always put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward. He sees my true potential and never fails to remind me of the God-given talent I was blessed with.”
That inspiration and way of thinking is exactly what Knight has long aimed to give the players he works with.
He shares his story with athletes and other students with the hopes of inspiring them to make an impact.
“I hope that I inspire them not to take every moment for granted. I hope they understand that we are on limited time, and we must make the most of what we have. We must make a lasting impression on those that we have around us,” Knight said.
Knight hopes to also leave his mark on the local disability advocacy community.
He has been a commencement speaker for the university’s Neurodivergent and Disability Affinity Graduation Celebration.
Knight said he hopes to see people with disabilities be more visible and pursue opportunities on campus.
“I hope that when people on campus see me, especially people on campus with disabilities. If they see me, they want to go pursue a career in athletics or just be involved,” Knight said.
Knight will be with the team for the 2026-27 season, but that will be his last year here.
He described his last year as bittersweet, but it is clear that it will not be the end of his basketball journey.
After all, he said, he has more barriers to break. He hopes to work with an NBA or college basketball team.
“That’s the ultimate goal for anyone: to explore more opportunities within basketball and hopefully break down barriers,” Knight said. “Also to be an advocate for people with disabilities, to figure out ways that they could break into sport, even though they can’t play.”
