Matt Williams (basketball) facts for kids

Matthew Williams Jr. (born October 14, 1993) is an American professional basketball player. He was born and grew up in Orlando, Florida. Williams played college basketball for the UCF Knights.

College Career Highlights

Williams went to the University of Central Florida after high school. He faced some health challenges during his college years. As a freshman, he had a burst appendix. Later, as a sophomore, he played with knee pain.

Early in his junior year, doctors found out his knee pain was from a rare condition. It was called inferior bipartite patella. He needed surgery and missed most of that season.

After his junior year, Williams graduated from UCF. He thought about moving to another college for his last year of playing. He first decided to go to Wake Forest. But then he changed his mind. He returned to UCF to play for the new coach, Johnny Dawkins.

In his final year, Williams played really well. His scoring average jumped from 8.1 to 15.1 points per game. He helped lead the Knights to the semifinals of the 2017 National Invitation Tournament. Williams became UCF's all-time leader in three-pointers. He set records for career (274), season (126), and a single game (11). These season and game records were also the best in the American Athletic Conference.

Professional Basketball Journey

Starting with the Miami Heat

After college, Williams played for the Miami Heat in the 2017 NBA Summer League. He then signed with the Heat for the 2017–18 season. In October 2017, his contract became a "two-way deal." This meant he could play for both the Heat and their minor league team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

He spent the first week with the Heat. Then he was sent to the G-League. In December, he was called back to the Heat because many players were injured. Williams played in 3 games for the Heat. He scored 5 points and had 1 rebound in 11 minutes. He was later released by the Heat. Williams then rejoined the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Playing in Europe

In September 2018, Williams moved to Finland. He joined KTP Basket in the Finnish Korisliiga league. In January 2019, he signed with Kymi in the Greek Basket League. He played 12 games in Greece. He averaged 8.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

From 2019 to 2020, Williams played for Donar in the Dutch Basketball League. The 2019–20 season ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Williams returned to the United States. He averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 21 games.

South America and Poland

Williams spent the 2020–21 season in Colombia. He played for the Cimarrones Caribbean Storm. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game there.

In August 2021, Williams signed with GTK Gliwice in the Polish Basketball League. He played 13 games. He averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

Return to Greece and Venezuela

In December 2021, Williams went back to Greece. He signed with Lavrio, a team in the Basketball Champions League. In 14 games, he averaged 4.6 points and 1 rebound.

In July 2022, Williams signed with the Supersónicos de Miranda. This team plays in the Venezuelan SuperLiga.

Career Statistics

NBA Games

See also

In Spanish: Matt Williams (baloncestista) para niños