Latavious Williams facts for kids

Latavious Williams, born on March 29, 1989, is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Al-Ittihad Jeddah in the Saudi Basketball League.

After finishing high school, Latavious played for the Tulsa 66ers. This team was part of the NBA Development League, now called the G-League. He was then picked by the Miami Heat in the 2010 NBA draft. His draft rights were later traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, he did not sign a contract with the Thunder and went back to play for the 66ers.

Latavious Williams made history as the first player to skip college basketball. Instead, he played a year in the D-League before being drafted into the NBA. He was also the first player to join the D-League straight from high school.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Latavious Williams was born in Starkville, Mississippi. His parents are Fredrick and Cassandra Neely.

Playing for Starkville High School

Latavious played basketball for four years at Starkville High School. In his final year, he was amazing on the court. He scored about 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds per game. He also blocked 5 shots per game. He helped his team reach the state semi-finals.

Moving to Christian Life Center Academy

After Starkville, Latavious needed to complete more courses for college. He went to Christian Life Center Academy in Humble, Texas. There, he continued to play basketball. He averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists.

College Plans and Professional Path

Latavious was a top basketball recruit in 2009. He first planned to play for the University of Memphis. However, he decided to play professionally instead of going to college. At that time, NBA rules said a player had to be one year out of high school to be drafted. So, he looked for a professional team to play for before joining the NBA.

Professional Basketball Journey

Starting in the D-League (2009–2010)

Latavious had offers from teams overseas, including one for US$100,000. But his family decided it was better for him to play in the D-League. He chose to earn US$19,000 there. He believed it would give him more chances to be seen by NBA teams.

He was picked 16th in the D-League Draft by the Tulsa 66ers. He was the first player ever drafted into the D-League right after high school. He played as a backup forward for the 66ers. He averaged 7.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He helped his team reach the D-League Finals.

NBA Draft and Return to D-League (2010–2011)

In 2010, Latavious was eligible for the 2010 NBA draft. The Miami Heat drafted him with the 48th pick. This made him the first player to play in the D-League before being drafted into the NBA.

Soon after, his draft rights were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played for the Thunder in the 2010 Orlando Summer League. He played well, but the Thunder did not offer him a contract. So, he returned to the Tulsa 66ers for the 2010–11 season. He averaged 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds that season.

Playing in Spain (2011–2012)

In 2011, Latavious signed a one-year contract with FIATC Joventut, a Spanish team. He had a great season there. He was even named the "Most Spectacular Player" in the Spanish league. He averaged 9.6 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Moving Around Teams (2012–2015)

In 2012, Latavious played for Metros de Santiago in the Dominican Republic. Then, he signed with Brose Baskets in Germany. After that, he joined Cajasol Sevilla in Spain. He played for Sevilla for a couple of seasons.

In 2014, he returned to Metros de Santiago for a short time. Later that year, he signed with Bilbao Basket in Spain. In 2015, he played for Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico.

Playing in Russia and Venezuela (2015–2017)

In 2015, Latavious signed with UNICS Kazan in Russia. He played there for two seasons. In 2017, he also played for Bucaneros de La Guaira in Venezuela.

Back to Spain and Bosnia (2017–2019)

In 2017, Latavious signed with the Spanish club Valencia Basket. In 2018, he joined Igokea in Bosnia. He helped Igokea win the Bosnian Cup. In 2019, he moved to Tecnyconta Zaragoza in Spain.

Playing in Israel (2019–2020)

In 2019, Latavious signed with Hapoel Holon in Israel. He had a fantastic debut game, scoring 23 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Later that year, he moved to Hapoel Tel Aviv. He had a season-high of 25 points in a game against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Playing in Asia (2020–2023)

In 2020, Latavious signed with the Korean team Anyang KGC. In 2021, he joined Jeonju KCC Egis, another Korean team. In 2022, he played for Kazma in the Arab Club Basketball Championship.

Current Team (2023–Present)

Since September 2023, Latavious Williams has been playing for Al-Ittihad Jeddah in the Saudi Basketball League.

Career Statistics

Latavious Williams has played in many different leagues around the world. Here are some of his statistics from domestic leagues:

See also

In Spanish: Latavious Williams para niños