00 Leroy Byrd

Leroy Byrd was born Leroy Byrd III on February 11, 1963, in Lexington, Kentucky to Leroy Byrd, Jr. and Lois Byrd.

Byrd attended Bryan Station High School in Lexington.  He averaged 12 points, five assists and six steals a game his senior season and was named first-team All-State.  He was a three-year starter at Bryan Station High School where he was a teammate of former Wildcat Melvin Turpin.  He led the Defenders to the KHSAA quarterfinals and a Top 5 ranking in the nation in 1981.

On May 18, 1981, Byrd, vowing to prove a 5-foot-5 guard has a place in major-college basketball, signed a national letter of intent with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) in a press conference at Bryan Station High School.

The 5-5 Byrd experienced an unlucky freshman season for the Runnin’ Rebels. Before the season started, Byrd was in a car wreck and broke his nose. He recovered from that and had been seeing spot duty until he suffered a severely sprained ankle.  Byrd played in 21 of Vegas’ 30 games as a freshman, averaging six minutes an appearance. As a reserve point guard, he filled the role of playmaker.  He shot only 26 times all season but got 32 assists and 12 steals.

In December of 1982, Byrd decided to leave UNLV over concerns about future playing time.

Byrd joined the Wildcats in the 1983-84 year at mid-season.  Originally signed with Nevada-Las Vegas, he spent time at two junior colleges, first Wabash Valley Junior College in Mt. Carmel, Illinois then graduating from Somerset Community College.  Byrd became the smallest player to ever wear a Kentucky uniform. Dickie Parsons, at 5-9 in 1959-61, held the honor before Byrd. He suffered a broken bone under his eye in his first Wildcat practice.  About a half-hour into practice, Byrd caught an elbow accidentally in the face from James Blackmon. It fractured the zygomatic arch under his left eye and minor cosmetic surgery was performed to set the break.  Student section chants within Rupp Arena for Byrd to make an appearance became common.  His first appearance as a Wildcat was on January 28, 1984.  The 5-5 guard played the final 80 seconds against Georgia, causing a roar from the Rupp Arena crowd when he dribbled out of a half-court trap.  Byrd was credited with one rebound and one turnover.  Byrd saw action in six games and scored his only two points in the regular season finale against LSU.

Byrd played three seasons for the UK men’s basketball program, including his first two under legendary head coach Joe B. Hall. “Baby Magic” was a favorite with UK fans because of his size and quickness. In total, he played in 38 career games, hitting 58.3 percent from the field. Bryd played professionally for the Harlem Magicians and in the World Basketball League for the Vancouver Night Hawks.

He was inducted into the Lexington African-American Sports Hall of Fame in September 2023, a testament to his enduring legacy in the sport.