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 University of Central Florida (UCF) before becoming a pro.

Matt Williams' College Basketball Journey

Williams joined UCF after playing at Jones High School in Orlando. His college career had some tough moments. As a freshman, he had a burst appendix. Later, as a sophomore, he played with knee pain.

Overcoming Challenges and Surgery

Early in his junior year, tests showed his knee pain was from a rare condition. It was called inferior bipartite patella, and it needed surgery. Williams had the surgery and missed most of that season.

Returning Stronger to UCF

After his "redshirt" junior year (meaning he didn't play much due to injury), Williams graduated from UCF. He thought about transferring to another college for his last year. He first chose Wake Forest, but then changed his mind. He decided to return to UCF to play for the new coach, Johnny Dawkins.

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

Matt Williams' Professional Basketball Career

After college, Matt Williams started his professional basketball journey.

Playing for the Miami Heat and Sioux Falls Skyforce (2017–2018)

Williams played for the Miami Heat in the 2017 NBA Summer League. After the league, he signed with the Heat for the 2017–18 season. He spent some time playing for both the Heat and their minor league team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

He played a few games for the Miami Heat. In one game against the New Orleans Pelicans, he had a rebound and 4 assists. He played in 3 games total for the Heat, scoring 5 points and getting 1 rebound in 11 minutes. Later, he was waived by the Heat and rejoined the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Playing in Europe: Finland and Greece (2018–2019)

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. In 12 games in Greece, he averaged 8.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Playing for Donar in the Netherlands (2019–2020)

On July 16, 2019, Williams signed with Donar in the Dutch Basketball League. The 2019–20 season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Williams then returned to the United States. He averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 21 games in the Netherlands.

Playing in Colombia (2020–2021)

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

Playing in Poland (2021)

On August 11, 2021, Williams signed with GTK Gliwice in the Polish Basketball League. In 13 games, he averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

Returning to Greece with Lavrio (2021–2022)

On December 11, 2021, Williams went back to Greece. He signed with Lavrio, a club in the BCL. In 14 games, he averaged 4.6 points, 1 rebound, and 0.5 assists. He played about 18 minutes per game.

Playing in Venezuela (2022)

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

Career Statistics Summary

Matt Williams played 3 games in the NBA. He averaged 1.7 points per game in those games.

See also

In Spanish: Matt Williams (baloncestista) para niños