John Williams (basketball, born 1966)

For other people named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation).

John Williams

Personal information
Born	(1966-10-26) October 26, 1966 Los Angeles, California
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	235 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 career	1986–2002
Position	Power forward / Center
Number	34, 24
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
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1987) 2× California Mr. Basketball (1983, 1984)
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
Stats at Basketball Reference

John Sam Williams (born October 26, 1966) is a retired American basketball player. Williams played collegiately for LSU, and was drafted into the National Basketball Association by the Washington Bullets in 1986 with the 12th overall pick.

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.

Despite his size, 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.

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 played for some years in the ACB league in Spain, with moderate individual success.

External links

• John Williams at Basketball-Reference.com