Freeman Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Freeman Williams

Williams as a senior at PSU
Personal information
Born	(1956-05-15)May 15, 1956 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	April 19, 2022(2022-04-19) (aged 65) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
High school	Manual Arts (Los Angeles, California)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	Portland State (1974–1978)
NBA Draft	1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	1978–1993
Career history
1978–1982	San Diego Clippers
1982	Atlanta Hawks
1982	Utah Jazz
1984–1985	Tampa Bay Thrillers
1985–1986	Washington Bullets
1986	Tampa Bay Thrillers
1993	Miami Tropics
Career highlights and awards
Consensus second-team All-American (1978) Third-team All-American – AP, UPI (1977) 2× NCAA season scoring leader (1977, 1978)
Career NBA statistics
Points	4,738 (14.7 ppg)
Rebounds	510 (1.6 rpg)
Assists	516 (1.6 apg)

Freeman Williams Jr. (born May 15, 1956 – died April 19, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he was a star college player for the Portland State Vikings. He was recognized as an All-American twice. He also led the entire nation in scoring for two seasons.

Williams started his NBA journey with the San Diego Clippers. He also played for the Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz, and Washington Bullets.

College Basketball Career

Freeman Williams attended Portland State University. There, he became the school's top scorer of all time. He led all of NCAA Division I in scoring in both 1977 and 1978. In 1978, he was named a second-team All-American. He holds the second-highest career scoring total in Division I history. Only the legendary Pete Maravich scored more points than him.

Professional Basketball Journey

In the 1978 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics picked Williams as the 8th player overall. His professional playing career began in 1978 with the San Diego Clippers.

Playing for the Clippers

Williams was great at shooting from long range. He ranked among the top 10 players for three-point field goals for three years in a row (1980 to 1982). In December 1980, Freeman made history for the Clippers. He became the first player from the team to win a Player of the Month award. No other Clippers player won this award for 25 years after him.

Trades and Later NBA Games

During the 1981-82 season, the Clippers traded Williams to the Atlanta Hawks. He was traded for two other players, Al Wood and Charlie Criss.

In September 1982, Williams was traded again. He went to the Utah Jazz along with John Drew. This trade happened because the Jazz wanted to get Dominique Wilkins, who they had drafted but refused to sign. After the 1982–83 season, Williams played only a few more NBA games. He played 18 games with Utah in 1983 and nine games with the Washington Bullets in 1986.

Playing Overseas

In 1987, Williams played basketball in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played for a team called the Tanduay Rhum Masters. He had an amazing game where he scored 82 points. This included 10 three-pointers in that single game!

Life Outside of Basketball

Freeman Williams also had a small role in a movie. He appeared in the 1992 film White Men Can't Jump. In the movie, he played a fictional street basketball legend named Duck Johnson.

Freeman Williams passed away on April 19, 2022, at the age of 65.

Career Statistics

Here are some of Freeman Williams' career statistics from his time in the NBA:

See Also

• In Spanish: Freeman Williams para niños
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 60 or more points in a game
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders
• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career scoring leaders