John "Hot Rod" Williams
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 9, 1962 Sorrento, Louisiana |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. near Sorrento, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Amant (St. Amant, Louisiana) |
| College | Tulane (1981–1985) |
| NBA draft | 1985 / Round: 2 / Pick: 45th overall |
| Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Playing career | 1985–1999 |
| Position | Power forward / Center |
| Number | 18 |
| Career history | |
| 1985 | Rhode Island Gulls (USBL) |
| 1986 | Staten Island Stallions (USBL) |
| 1986–1995 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1995–1998 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1999 | Dallas Mavericks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 9,784 (11.0 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 5,998 (6.8 rpg) |
| Blocks | 1,456 (1.6 bpg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
John "Hot Rod" Williams (August 9, 1962 – December 11, 2015) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1986 to 1999.
Contents
Early life
Williams was born in Sorrento, Louisiana, a small town near Baton Rouge. He got the nickname "Hot Rod" as a baby due to his habit of making engine-like noises as he scooted backwards across the floor.
College basketball
A 6'11" power forward/center, he played collegiately at Tulane University, leaving as that school's second all-time leading scorer. According to a Tulane booster club president, Williams was nearly kicked off the team in his sophomore year "for missing practices and for being unreliable". Additionally, he was a marginal student at best. He barely maintained a C average in high school, and had barely passed the SAT. At Tulane, his grade point average hovered in the C-D range despite a schedule laden with "decidedly non-academic" courses such as driver's education and weight training.[1]
Arrest
On March 27, 1985, Williams was arrested for suspicion of point shaving. According to the indictment, Williams had taken at least $8,550 from Gary Kranz for influencing point spreads in games against Southern Miss, Memphis State and Virginia Tech. Williams was charged with sports bribery and conspiracy;[2] his first trial ended with a mistrial, but during his second trial a jury found him not guilty of all five counts.[3]
NBA career
Cleveland Cavaliers
Williams was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1985 NBA draft with the 21st pick of the second round (45th overall). However, due to the trial, Williams spent the 1985–86 season playing for the United States Basketball League. Able to play for the Cavs the next year, Williams was named to the NBA all-rookie team for the 1986-87 season, along with teammates Ron Harper and Brad Daugherty. Perhaps Williams' finest season occurred in 1989, when he averaged 16.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.04 blocked shots per game while mostly serving as the team's sixth man. Prior March 22, 2009, he ranked as the Cavaliers' all time leader in blocked shots (1,200) (surpassed by Žydrūnas Ilgauskas).[4]
Phoenix Suns
Williams spent nine seasons with the Cavs before being traded to the Phoenix Suns for Dan Majerle.
Dallas Mavericks
He finished out his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks.
Personal
Williams' nephew, Toe Nash, played professional baseball.[5] He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
John "Hot Rod" Williams children; John B Williams Jr, John Francis Williams, Johnna Annie B Williams, John Paul Williams and Sydney Gibbs.
Death
Williams was diagnosed with colon cancer in April of 2013. He died from complications of colon cancer at a hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on December 11, 2015.[6][7] Williams was 53.
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Recent scandals: BC, Tulane and Northwestern
- ↑ SPORTS PEOPLE; No Second Thoughts, The New York Times, June 18, 1986, Accessed January 14, 2009.
- ↑ Nets Can’t Stop Cavaliers’ Winning Streak
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- 1962 births
- 2015 deaths
- African-American basketball players
- Basketball players from Louisiana
- Centers (basketball)
- Cleveland Cavaliers draft picks
- Cleveland Cavaliers players
- College basketball controversies in the United States
- Dallas Mavericks players
- Deaths from prostate cancer
- People from Ascension Parish, Louisiana
- Phoenix Suns players
- Power forwards (basketball)
- Tulane Green Wave men's basketball players
