Shelden Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shelden Williams

Williams in 2008
Personal information
Born	(1983-10-21) October 21, 1983 (age 41) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
High school	Midwest City (Midwest City, Oklahoma)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
College	Duke (2002–2006)
NBA Draft	2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Pro career	2006–2015
Coaching career	2018–present
Career history
As player:
2006–2008	Atlanta Hawks
2008–2009	Sacramento Kings
2009	Minnesota Timberwolves
2009–2010	Boston Celtics
2010–2011	Denver Nuggets
2011	New York Knicks
2011–2012	New Jersey Nets
2012–2013	Élan Chalon
2013–2015	Tianjin Ronggang
As coach:
2018–2020	Erie BayHawks / College Park Skyhawks (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
2× NABC Defensive Player of the Year (2005, 2006) Consensus first-team All-American (2006) Third-team All-American – AP (2005) 2× First-team All-ACC (2005, 2006) Second-team All-ACC (2004) No. 23 retired by Duke Blue Devils USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2005) Fourth-team Parade All-American (2001)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  United States Summer Universiade Gold 2005 Izmir Team competition

Shelden DeMar Williams, born on October 21, 1983, is a former professional basketball player from the United States. People called him "the Landlord" because of his strong play. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. After college, he played in the NBA for seven seasons.

While at Duke, Williams won the NABC Defensive Player of the Year award twice. He earned this award in both 2005 and 2006. He was only the fifth player ever to win it two years in a row. He also holds several records for Duke basketball. These include the most blocks in a career and in a single season. He also has the most rebounds in Duke's history.

High School Basketball Career

Shelden Williams was a great student and athlete in high school. He was part of the National Honor Society. He was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Here are some of his high school achievements:

• He was chosen for the 2002 EA Sports High School All-America team.
• He was named Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002.
• USA Today named him Oklahoma Player of the Year in 2001.
• The Daily Oklahoman also called him Oklahoma Player of the Year in 2001.
• He was Oklahoma Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and 2001.
• ESPN.com ranked him as the 49th best player in the nation after his senior year.
• During his senior year, he averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, and three assists per game.
• Future Stars and BlueChipHoops.com rated him the fifth-best high school player.
• College Basketball News ranked him sixth before the 2001–02 season.
• The Sporting News listed him as the sixth-best high school player in 2001–02.
• Basketball News and Prepstar rated him the number one forward in the nation.
• He was an all-state, all-district, and all-city player three times (1999–2001).
• He was a 2001 Parade All-American.

College Basketball Career

Shelden Williams played for the Duke University men's basketball team from 2002 to 2006. He studied sociology and also earned a certificate in markets and management studies.

On January 11, 2006, Williams made history for Duke. He achieved a triple-double in a game against Maryland. This means he had double-digit numbers in three different stats. He scored 19 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked 10 shots. He was only the third Duke player to ever get a triple-double.

Duke University honored Williams by retiring his No. 23 jersey. This happened on January 28, 2007. Retiring a jersey means no other player on the team will wear that number again.

Williams is one of only three players in ACC history to reach amazing milestones. He had over 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 350 blocks, and 150 steals. The other two players are Tim Duncan and Ralph Sampson. His 1,217 rebounds rank him seventh in ACC history. His 1,859 career points place him sixteenth in Duke history.

College Records

When Shelden Williams graduated from Duke University, he held several important records:

• He was Duke's all-time leader in blocked shots with 422.
• He was Duke's all-time leader in rebounds.
• He held the record for the most blocked shots in a single season at Duke.

College Awards

Shelden Williams received many awards during his college career:

• He was named National Association of Basketball Coaches NABC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
• He was an Associated Press First Team All-American in 2006.
• He was a John R. Wooden First Team All-American in 2006.
• He was part of the Senior CLASS All-Senior All-American Team in 2006.
• He was a finalist for the John R. Wooden National Player of the Year in 2006.
• He was named NBA Rookie of the Month for April 2007.

Professional Basketball Career

Shelden Williams had a professional basketball career that spanned several years. He played for various teams in the NBA and also overseas.

Atlanta Hawks (2006–2008)

The Atlanta Hawks picked Shelden Williams as the fifth overall player in the 2006 NBA draft. He signed his first NBA contract with the Hawks on July 10, 2006. He played his first NBA game on November 1, getting three rebounds and one block. On April 16, 2007, he had a season-high 17 rebounds and 16 points. The next day, he scored a season-high 21 points and had ten rebounds. The NBA named him the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for April.

Sacramento Kings (2008–2009)

On February 16, 2008, Williams was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He was part of a trade that included several other players. He played 28 games for the Kings during the 2007–08 season. On April 15, he had 11 rebounds, 12 points, and three steals in a game.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2009)

Williams was traded again on February 19, 2009. He joined the Minnesota Timberwolves in a trade with the Sacramento Kings.

Boston Celtics (2009–2010)

On August 7, 2009, Williams signed a one-year contract. He joined the Boston Celtics, a famous NBA team.

Denver Nuggets (2010–2011)

Williams signed another one-year contract on July 14, 2010. This time, he played for the Denver Nuggets.

New York Knicks (2011)

On February 22, 2011, Williams was traded to the New York Knicks. This was a big trade that also involved Carmelo Anthony moving to New York.

New Jersey Nets (2011–2012)

On December 13, 2011, Williams signed with the New Jersey Nets. He played for them during the 2011–12 season.

Élan Chalon (2012–2013)

After his time in the NBA, Williams moved to play basketball in France. On August 28, 2012, he signed a one-year contract with Élan Chalon. This team was the French League champion. He played 10 games in the 2012–13 Euroleague season. In those games, he averaged 11.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Tianjin Ronggang (2013–2015)

In October 2013, Shelden Williams went to play basketball in China. He signed with Tianjin Ronggang. He played for this team until 2015.

Career Statistics

Shelden Williams played many games in his professional career. Here are some of his statistics from the NBA and Euroleague.

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

Euroleague

Personal Life

On November 13, 2008, Shelden Williams married Candace Parker. She is a famous basketball star who played for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols and the Las Vegas Aces. They have a daughter named Lailaa. In November 2016, Williams and Parker decided to separate and later filed for divorce. They share joint custody of their daughter.

In 2019, Shelden started the Shelden Williams Foundation. This foundation helps student athletes and their families. It supports programs that promote good emotional and physical health. It does this through sports, education, and community involvement.

See also

In Spanish: Shelden Williams para niños

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career blocks leaders