Buck Williams facts for kids
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Williams in 2006
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 8, 1960 Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S. |
| High school | Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount, North Carolina) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Maryland (1978–1981) |
| NBA Draft | 1981 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall |
| Selected by the New Jersey Nets | |
| Pro career | 1981–1998 |
| Career history | |
| 1981–1989 | New Jersey Nets |
| 1989–1996 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1996–1998 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 16,784 (12.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 13,017 (10.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,646 (1.3 apg) |
Charles Linwood "Buck" Williams, born on March 8, 1960, is a famous American former professional basketball player. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. Buck was well-known for his amazing ability to grab rebounds during games. He was also famous for wearing his special goggles on the court.
Williams, who stands 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall, played as a power forward. He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Buck Williams is one of the top 20 players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history for career rebounds. His NBA career lasted 17 years. During this time, he was chosen for the NBA All-Star Game three times. He also won the Rookie of the Year award. He was selected for the All-Rookie team and the All-NBA second team. He also made the NBA All-Defensive teams four times. Buck led the New Jersey Nets in rebounding for most of the 1980s. He is still the Nets' all-time leader in total rebounds.
Contents
Buck Williams' Early Basketball Days
Buck Williams went to Rocky Mount High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. After high school, he played college basketball at the University of Maryland.
College Success at Maryland
Buck quickly became a star at Maryland. In 1979, he won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award. He led the ACC in rebounding twice, in 1979 and 1981. During his second and third years, he averaged 15.5 points per game. He was also honored with All-ACC selections in 1980 and 1981.
His great playing earned him a spot on the 1980 USA Olympic basketball team. He was on the team with future NBA champions like Isiah Thomas. However, he could not play in the Moscow Olympics. This was because the United States decided to boycott the games. In 2002, Buck was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team. In 2001, he joined the University of Maryland's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Buck Williams' NBA Career
After three successful years at Maryland, Buck Williams decided to join the NBA.
Playing for the New Jersey Nets (1981–1989)
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The New Jersey Nets picked Buck as the third player overall in the 1981 NBA draft. He was drafted after his Olympic teammates, Mark Aguirre and Isiah Thomas. In his first season with the Nets, he averaged 15.5 points per game. He also led the team with 12.3 rebounds per game. His help made the Nets win 20 more games than the year before. This earned him the 1982 Rookie of the Year award.
Over the next eight seasons with the Nets, Buck became a top player at the power forward position. In six of those seasons, he was among the top three rebounders in the league. He never averaged less than twelve rebounds per game. In the 1983–84 season, the Nets reached the second round of the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 1976. They lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets did not get past the first round again until 2002.
Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers (1989–1996)
On June 24, 1989, the Nets traded Buck Williams to the Portland Trail Blazers. In Portland, Buck continued to play well. He became an important player alongside star guards Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter. Before Buck joined, the Blazers had lost in the first round of the playoffs for four years in a row. With Buck, the Blazers reached the Western Conference Finals three times in his first three seasons. They also made it to the NBA Finals twice.
In the 1990 Finals, the Blazers lost to the strong Detroit Pistons. In 1992, they lost to the Chicago Bulls. Buck was usually a starter for six of his seven seasons with the Blazers. He is still one of the top players in the team's history for field goal percentage and total rebounds.
Playing for the New York Knicks (1996–1998)
Towards the end of his career, after the 1995–96 season, Buck Williams moved back to the Atlantic Division. He signed with the New York Knicks. Here, he played a smaller role, supporting star players Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley. He played two years with the Knicks. However, he missed 41 games during the 1997–98 season because of knee surgery. This was the first time he missed so many games in a season.
Buck Williams announced his retirement on January 27, 1999. He finished his career with averages of 12.8 points and ten rebounds per game. His field goal average was 54.9 percent. During his 17-year NBA career, Buck scored over 16,000 points and grabbed more than 13,000 rebounds. He was only the seventh NBA player to reach both of these impressive numbers.
After His Basketball Career
Buck Williams was the president of the NBA Players Association from 1994 to 1997. In April 1999, the Nets honored him by retiring his jersey number, 52. This means no other Nets player will wear that number. In 2006, he was added to the Rocky Mount Twin County Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was also named to the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame.
Coaching Career
In July 2010, Buck Williams was hired by Nate McMillan. He became an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers.
See also
In Spanish: Buck Williams para niños
- List of NBA career games played leaders
- List of NBA career rebounding leaders
- List of NBA career turnovers leaders
- List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
- List of NBA career minutes played leaders
- List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
