Freeman Williams facts for kids
Williams as a senior at PSU
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 15, 1956 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | April 19, 2022 (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 | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,738 (14.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 510 (1.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 516 (1.6 apg) |
Freeman Williams Jr. (May 15, 1956 – April 19, 2022) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Portland State Vikings, where he was a two-time All-American and twice led the nation in scoring. He began his NBA career playing 2+1⁄2 years with the San Diego Clippers, and also had stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz and Washington Bullets.
College career
Williams attended Portland State University, where he became the school's all-time scoring leader. He was the NCAA Division I scoring leader in 1977 and 1978, and a consensus second-team All-American in 1978. He is second in Division I history in career scoring, trailing only Pete Maravich.
Professional career
Williams was a 1978 first round draft pick (8th overall) by the Boston Celtics. His pro playing career started in 1978 with the San Diego Clippers. He finished in the top 10 in three-point field goals for three consecutive seasons from 1980 through 1982. In December 1980, Freeman became the first Clippers player to win a Player of the Month award, and the only one in franchise history until Elton Brand did so 25 years later. In the middle of the 1981-82 season, the Clippers traded Williams to the Atlanta Hawks for Al Wood and Charlie Criss.
In September 1982, Williams was traded along with John Drew and cash to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Dominique Wilkins, who was drafted by the Jazz and refused to sign. After that season (1982–83), Williams only played in 27 more games: 18 with Utah in 1983 and nine with the Washington Bullets in 1986.
In 1987, Williams played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for the Tanduay Rhum Masters, where he famously scored 82 points, including 10 three-pointers, in one game.
Personal life
Freeman had a small part in the 1992 film White Men Can't Jump, playing fictional playground legend Duck Johnson.
Williams died on April 19, 2022. He was 65.
Career statistics
| Season | Team | GP | MPG | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–79 | Clippers | 72 | 16.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 10.4 |
| 1979–80 | Clippers | 82 | 25.8 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 18.6 |
| 1980–81 | Clippers | 82 | 24.1 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 19.3 |
| 1981–82 | Clippers/Hawks | 60 | 16.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 12.0 |
| 1982–83 | Jazz | 18 | 11.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 5.1 |
| 1985–86 | Bullets | 9 | 12.2 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 7.7 |
| Career | 6 Seasons | 323 | 20.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 14.7 |
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
