Last weekend, in their final game of the 2021-2022 ABA season, guard Malik Billingsley of the Akron Aviators made his 1,000th career point in what would be his final game with the team and ABA. Malik scored 20 points, for a total of 1,012 career points In the Aviators 144-101 win over the Midwest Falcons.
A graduate of Muskingham University in New Concord, OH, Malik would make a 3 hour round trip drive to Akron every week for practice his first season. He later became team captain where he would go on to score multiple 50-point games leading the Aviators to Division semi-finals. He played games with the Akron Aviators across the region and United States from Syracuse, to St. Louis, and Hawaii to play the Swish.
In 2019, the multi-time all-star won the ABA 3-Point Championship hitting 19 threes, and also the Skills Challenge Championship.
”A special note to Malik Billingsley, an Akron Aviator player who is retiring from pro basketball and ended his long ABA career with 1,012 points, one of the highest point total in the league’s history. A former ABA All Star and ABA Skills Challenge Champion, Malik exhibited all that the ABA stands for – drive, determination, a competitive spirit. He played for all the right reasons. Congratulations Malik, thank you for being a part of the ABA.”
Joe Newman, CEO, ABA
Malik is currently the assistant coach for Penn State Shenango’s men’s basketball team. Congratulations, Malik. We wish you the best in your basketball future.
[…] the last game of the 2021-2022 season, Malik Billingsley crossed the 1,000 point threshold and announced his retirement. This Saturday, January 7th, 2023, he will officially return to the […]