John Williams (basketball, born 1966)

Last updated

John Williams
Personal information
Born (1966-10-26) October 26, 1966 (age 58)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school Crenshaw (Los Angeles, California)
College LSU (1984–1986)
NBA draft 1986: 1st round, 12th overall pick
Selected by the Washington Bullets
Playing career1986–2002
Position Power forward / center
Number34, 24, 66
Career history
1986–1991 Washington Bullets
1992–1994 Los Angeles Clippers
1994–1995 Indiana Pacers
1997–1998 Covirán Granada
1998–1999 TDK Manresa
2000–2002 Fórum Filatélico
2002 Lucéntum Alicante
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points 4,406 (10.1 ppg)
Rebounds 2,201 (5.1 rpg)
Assists 1,262 (2.9 apg)
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference

John Sam Williams (born October 26, 1966) is an American former basketball player who played professionally for several seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Liga ACB.

Contents

His girth earned him the nickname "Hot Plate" Williams, in part to help distinguish him from John "Hot Rod" Williams of the Cleveland Cavaliers who likewise played college basketball in Louisiana (at Tulane University) and who also entered the NBA in 1986. [1] Despite his size, in which he ballooned to close to 260 pounds by the time he was drafted, Williams was a highly skilled basketball player. He was in particular an exceptionally good passer, and averaged over 4 assists per game in 3 separate seasons, an excellent average for a player his size. He was frequently used as a point forward, handling the ball and conducting the offense.

College career

Williams played collegiately for LSU, and was drafted into the National Basketball Association by the Washington Bullets in 1986 with the 12th overall pick. [2]

Professional career

As a rookie, Williams averaged just under ten points and five rebounds per game for the Bullets. He improved significantly his second season, and started 37 of 82 games. The 1988–89 NBA season, his third, was clearly his best, as he achieved career-high season totals in almost every statistical category, despite coming off the bench in all but one game.

Williams' productivity declined in the five injury-plagued seasons that followed. He missed more than half of four of those five seasons due to various injuries, which, though not necessarily caused by his weight, were certainly aggravated by it. His eight-year NBA career included five seasons with the Bullets, two with the Los Angeles Clippers, and one (his final season) with the Indiana Pacers. He left the NBA in 1995, but went on to play 132 games over 6 seasons in the Spanish Liga ACB, averaging 15.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. [3]

Weight issues and player profile

Williams' eating problems and weight issues were as a result of stress and depression. By the time he entered the draft, he lost his grandmother, two childhood friends, while supporting his mother, grandfather, and children from previous marriages. His weight issues got so bad that Bullets and Clippers put him on weight reduction programs, and suspended him with no pay. [4]

By the time he played for the Pacers, his offensive skills and court vision had not diminished, but his vertical leap and stamina suffered significantly due to his weight, making him a defensive liability. At his lowest weight, he managed to drop to 235 lbs, but he gained weight back up to about 260 lbs.

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References

  1. ↑ Ira Berkow (November 17, 1994). "Keeping Score, One Pound at a Time". New York Times . Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  2. ↑ Bill Brubaker (December 1, 1991). "Williams Vs. Bullets: How it evolved". Washington Post . Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  3. ↑ Ruben Castaneda (June 22, 2004). "Ex-Bullet Gets Year in Prison For Not Paying Child Support". Washington Post . Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  4. ↑ The NBA Player Who ATE His Way Out The League | UNTOLD , retrieved January 13, 2020
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