Kelly Williams
Encyclopedia
Kelly Williams is a Filipino
-American
professional basketball
player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association
. Williams, a former PBA Most Valuable Player
, played collegiate basketball at Oakland University
, an NCAA Division I school in the United States
, and he represents the Philippines in international competitions.
to an American
father and a Filipina
mother. He attended Martin Luther King High School where he earned four varsity letter
s in basketball under head coach
Benny White in the Detroit PSL basketball league. He was elected the team's co-captain
in 2000, the same year that he led the Crusaders to the state semi-finals. Williams is a two-time all-league honoree.
As a senior, Williams was named an all-district
and all-state
player as he averaged 35 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, three steals, and two assists per contest. During that time, the Crusaders were ranked in the state as high as number one, and was only defeated in the semi-final round of the state championships.
Williams completed high school
in 2000. During his four years, Martin Luther King had a 68–16 win-loss
record.
for four years, with the highlight of his career coming in his freshman year when the Grizzlies upset the University of Michigan
.
in the Philippine Basketball League
where he averaged team-bests 37.1 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in the 2005 Unity Cup.
, who was later picked second overall by the Air21 Express. During his rookie season, he normed averages of 28.3 points and 9.6 rebounds earning him the Rookie of the Year award, making him the second Realtor to do so after Jun Limpot
in 1993. In his sophomore year, he improved his game immensely, helping his team win their second championship overall and grabbing the league's Most Valuable Player
award along the way.
In 2008, he was again named into the RP Training Pool
under Coach Yeng Guiao
.
In 2009, during the All-Star Week, Williams was diagnosed of thrombocytopenia
and was out for the remaining games of the entire conference. With his absence, his team did not last long and was eliminated by the Burger King Whoopers. He was also cut from the training pool for the national team
because of his illness. However, he has since recovered from this illness.
In 2010, Williams, along with team mates Ryan Reyes
and Charles Walters, was traded to the Talk N Text Phone Pals for Ali Peek
, Nic Belasco
, Yousif Aljamal
, and Ogie Menor. The deal was brought about by Sta. Lucia's financial problems.
In 2011, Williams suited up and was the starting power forward for the Smart Gilas
national basketball team, the national team of the Philippines
who finished 4th in the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship.
| align="left" | 2006-07
| align="left" | Sta. Lucia
| 45 || 39.2 || .378 || .312 || .657 || 9.6 || 1.7 || 1.2 || .5 || 27.3
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
| align="left" | Sta. Lucia
| 53 || 40.5 || .379 || .289 || .599 || 10.7 || 1.7 || .9 || .6 || 28.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Sta. Lucia
| 35 || 39.7 || .332 || .218 || .622 || 10.2 || 2.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 14.1
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | SLR
/TNT
| 44 || 34.4 || .369 || .189 || .557 || 10.6 || 2.2 || 1.3 || .6 || 14.4
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 63 || 26.9 || .466 || .353 || .475 || 7.2 || 1.2 || .9 || .5 || 9.5
|-
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 240 || 35.5 || .383 || .269 || .580 || 9.5 || 1.8 || 1.0 || .6 || 14.4
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
. Williams, a former PBA Most Valuable Player
Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award
The Philippine Basketball Association awards the Most Valuable Player award at the end of the season. The winner is selected via votes from the press, players, coaches and top PBA officials....
, played collegiate basketball at Oakland University
Oakland University
Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan, United States in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU...
, an NCAA Division I school in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and he represents the Philippines in international competitions.
Early life
Williams was born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
to an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
father and a Filipina
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
mother. He attended Martin Luther King High School where he earned four varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s in basketball under head coach
Coach (basketball)
Basketball coaching is the act of directing and strategizing the behaviour of a basketball team or individual basketball player. Basketball coaching typically encompasses the improvement of individual and team offensive and defensive skills, as well as overall physical conditioning.Coaching is...
Benny White in the Detroit PSL basketball league. He was elected the team's co-captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
in 2000, the same year that he led the Crusaders to the state semi-finals. Williams is a two-time all-league honoree.
As a senior, Williams was named an all-district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
and all-state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
player as he averaged 35 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, three steals, and two assists per contest. During that time, the Crusaders were ranked in the state as high as number one, and was only defeated in the semi-final round of the state championships.
Williams completed high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in 2000. During his four years, Martin Luther King had a 68–16 win-loss
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
record.
Collegiate career
Kelly Williams attended Oakland UniversityOakland University
Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan, United States in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU...
for four years, with the highlight of his career coming in his freshman year when the Grizzlies upset the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
- 2000–2001: Williams scored 18 points in Oakland's upset of Michigan on November 17, 2000.
- 2001–2002: Williams played in every game for the Golden Grizzlies as a sophomore.
- 2002–2003: Williams played in every game for a third straight year for OU in 2002–2003, finishing third on the squad in rebounding.
- 2003–2004: Williams had a solid senior season, ranking among the team leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals.
Amateur career
The 6-foot-7 high-leaper played for MagnoliaMagnolia Purewater Wizards
The Magnolia Purewater Wizards is a basketball team currently playing in the Philippine Basketball League and is owned by San Miguel Corporation-San Miguel Lagerlite Beermen:* Paul Alvarez* Allan Caidic* Yves Dignadice* Jerry Codinera* Jong Uichico...
in the Philippine Basketball League
Philippine Basketball League
The Philippine Basketball League is a commercial semi-professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league is composed of several commercial teams with several collegiate and provincial stars.-History:...
where he averaged team-bests 37.1 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in the 2005 Unity Cup.
Teams
When the Realtors took the first overall draft right in 2006, they did not hesitate to pick Kelly Williams over two-time UAAP MVP Arwind SantosArwind Santos
Arwind Santos is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters. He also played college hoops at Far Eastern University in the UAAP and the Magnolia Ice Cream Spinners in the Philippine Basketball League...
, who was later picked second overall by the Air21 Express. During his rookie season, he normed averages of 28.3 points and 9.6 rebounds earning him the Rookie of the Year award, making him the second Realtor to do so after Jun Limpot
Jun Limpot
Zandro P. Limpot, Jr. , also known as "The Main Man" Jun Limpot, is a former Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association.- Career :...
in 1993. In his sophomore year, he improved his game immensely, helping his team win their second championship overall and grabbing the league's Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award along the way.
In 2008, he was again named into the RP Training Pool
Philippines national basketball team
The men's national basketball team of the Philippines represents the Philippines in international basketball competitions. It is managed by its national basketball federation, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
under Coach Yeng Guiao
Yeng Guiao
Joseller "Yeng" Guiao is a Filipino professional basketball head coach for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association, and was also the head coach of the Philippine National Basketball Team. Guiao won four PBA titles since starting his head coaching job for Swift in...
.
In 2009, during the All-Star Week, Williams was diagnosed of thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia is a relative decrease of platelets in blood.A normal human platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. These limits are determined by the 2.5th lower and upper percentile, so values outside this range do not necessarily indicate disease...
and was out for the remaining games of the entire conference. With his absence, his team did not last long and was eliminated by the Burger King Whoopers. He was also cut from the training pool for the national team
Philippines national basketball team
The men's national basketball team of the Philippines represents the Philippines in international basketball competitions. It is managed by its national basketball federation, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
because of his illness. However, he has since recovered from this illness.
In 2010, Williams, along with team mates Ryan Reyes
Ryan Reyes
Ryan Jay Reyes is a professional Filipino / American basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association and is a shooting guard for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. Nicknamed "D-Energizer" for his energetic style of play, he was drafted third overall by the Sta...
and Charles Walters, was traded to the Talk N Text Phone Pals for Ali Peek
Ali Peek
Albert Henry Peek better known as Ali Peek is a Filipino-American professional basketball player who plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He plays mostly at the Center position, although he is also used as a Power Forward occasionally...
, Nic Belasco
Nic Belasco
Nicholas Belasco better known as Nic Belasco, is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who last played for the Sta. Lucia Realtors. He was drafted 2nd overall by Sunkist in 1997.-Player Profile:Belasco is one of the many reliable big men in the league...
, Yousif Aljamal
Yousif Aljamal
Yousif Aljamal is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He most recently played for the Meralco Bolts. He is also a former NCAA Most Valuable Player for its 82nd season with the San Beda Red Lions....
, and Ogie Menor. The deal was brought about by Sta. Lucia's financial problems.
In 2011, Williams suited up and was the starting power forward for the Smart Gilas
Smart Gilas
Smart Gilas Pilipinas is a developmental Philippine national basketball team sponsored by Smart Communications and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
national basketball team, the national team of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
who finished 4th in the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship.
Regular Season
|-| align="left" | 2006-07
| align="left" | Sta. Lucia
Sta. Lucia Realtors
The Sta. Lucia Realtors was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association.The Universal Robina Corporation team is one of the founding members of the PBA. Formerly known as Great Taste and Presto-Tivoli Ice Cream, they have won a total of 6 championships. Sta...
| 45 || 39.2 || .378 || .312 || .657 || 9.6 || 1.7 || 1.2 || .5 || 27.3
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
| align="left" | Sta. Lucia
| 53 || 40.5 || .379 || .289 || .599 || 10.7 || 1.7 || .9 || .6 || 28.2
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Sta. Lucia
| 35 || 39.7 || .332 || .218 || .622 || 10.2 || 2.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 14.1
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | SLR
Sta. Lucia Realtors
The Sta. Lucia Realtors was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association.The Universal Robina Corporation team is one of the founding members of the PBA. Formerly known as Great Taste and Presto-Tivoli Ice Cream, they have won a total of 6 championships. Sta...
/TNT
| 44 || 34.4 || .369 || .189 || .557 || 10.6 || 2.2 || 1.3 || .6 || 14.4
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 63 || 26.9 || .466 || .353 || .475 || 7.2 || 1.2 || .9 || .5 || 9.5
|-
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 240 || 35.5 || .383 || .269 || .580 || 9.5 || 1.8 || 1.0 || .6 || 14.4
Honors
- PBA Philippine Cup Champion: 2008
- PBA All-Star: 2006, 2007, 2008
- PBA Most Valuable Player: 2008
- PBA Rookie of the Year: 2006