Scott Williams (basketball)
Scott Christopher Williams (born March 21, 1968) is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 6' 10", he was capable of playing as a power forward or a center. Williams contributed off the bench during the Chicago Bulls' first three-peat championships (1991–93) early in his professional career. He developed into a front court reserve journeyman during his ten-plus seasons in the NBA, where he was known for his hustle and strong defense.[1] Since his retirement, Williams has coached in the NBA Development League and NBA as well as commentating for a variety of NBA teams. Williams is currently the color analyst for the Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball team. Scott has a daughter, Ava Williams, and a son, Ben Williams.
_(crop).jpg.webp) Williams playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 1986-87 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | March 21, 1968 Hacienda Heights, California | |||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| High school | Glen A. Wilson (Hacienda Heights, California) | |||||||||||||
| College | North Carolina (1986–1990) | |||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1990 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1990–2005 | |||||||||||||
| Position | Power forward / Center | |||||||||||||
| Number | 42, 55, 47 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 1990–1994 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Philadelphia 76ers | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Phoenix Suns | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Idaho Stampede (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 3,825 | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 3,506 | |||||||||||||
| Blocks | 421 | |||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | ||||||||||||||
Medals
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Early life and college career
Williams attended and played basketball for Glen A. Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, California. He led the 1986 squad to the 1986 C.I.F State Championship Title. Williams was named a McDonald's All-American in 1986.
He enrolled at the University of North Carolina. Williams' parents died on October 15, 1987, when his father shot and killed his mother in their garage, then turned the gun on himself. He was 19 years old, and was in his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; coach Dean Smith notified him of the tragedy.[2]
Growing up, Williams was a passionate Los Angeles Lakers fan.[3]
Professional career
Undrafted in 1990 after four years in college, Williams signed with the Chicago Bulls in 1990, playing four seasons with the team, mostly as a reserve, and winning three championship rings in his first three NBA seasons. On 7 June 1991, in game 3 of the finals against the Lakers, in Los Angeles, he scored four points (all from the free throw line), grabbed two rebounds and handed out two assists in only 11 minutes of play, in an eventual 104–96 overtime win.
In 1994, Williams signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played for 4½ injury-plagued seasons before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1999. His career saw a brief resurgence in Milwaukee, where he averaged career-highs of 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds during the 1999–2000 season. Until his retirement in 2005, at the age of 37, he also appeared for the Denver Nuggets, the Phoenix Suns (one ½ seasons), the Dallas Mavericks (27 games) and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
During his final season, he became LeBron James' oldest teammate and only one born in the 1960s.[4]
Post-retirement
Subsequently, Williams accepted the Cavaliers' offer to become a color commentator for the team's telecasts on FSN Ohio, beginning in 2005–06, and working alongside Michael Reghi. After two seasons, on 20 October 2007, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported he would join the Milwaukee Bucks' commentary team.[5] Besides doing pre and post-game analysis for home games, he also called some games while a popular emailer on the Tony Kornheiser radio show.
In 2008, Williams became a color commentator for another former team, the Phoenix Suns, broadcasting with Tom Leander and Gary Bender.
During the 2012–13 season, Williams was an assistant coach for the Idaho Stampede in the NBA Development League.
Prior to the 2013–14 season, Williams was hired as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks under Larry Drew.
As of the 2014-15 season, Williams serves as the analyst for Grand Canyon Antelopes men's basketball games on Cox7 Arizona, alongside play-by-play announcer Barry Buetel.
References
- "2003–04 Upper Deck #224 - Scott Williams". Upper Deck. The Upper Deck Company, LLC. 2003. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
- Williams Makes New Memories; Los Angeles Times, 9 June 1992
- Sports of The Times; Dreams and Tragedy Of the Bulls' Rookie; The New York Times, 9 June 1991
- basketball-reference.com
- Williams to offer insights; JS Online, 20 October 2007