Scott Williams (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Scott Christopher Williams (born March 21, 1968) is a retired American
professional basketball
player in the National Basketball Association
. Standing at 6' 10", he was capable of playing as a power forward
or a center
.
year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
; coach Dean Smith
notified him of the tragedy.
Growing up, Williams was a passionate Los Angeles Lakers
fan.
in 1990
after four years in college, Williams signed with the Chicago Bulls
in 1990, playing four seasons with the team, mostly as a reserve, and winning three championship rings
in his first three NBA
seasons. On 7 June 1991, in game 3 of the finals
against the Lakers, in Los Angeles
, he scored four points (all from the free throw
line), grabbed two rebounds
and handed out two assists
in only 11 minutes of play, in an eventual 104–96 overtime
win.
In 1994, Williams signed with the Philadelphia 76ers
, where he played for 4½ injury-plagued seasons before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks
in 1999. His career saw a brief resurgence in Milwaukee
, where he averaged career-highs of 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds during the 1999–2000 season. Until his retirement in 2005, at the age of 37, he also appeared for the Denver Nuggets
, the Phoenix Suns
(one ½ seasons), the Dallas Mavericks
(27 games) and the Cleveland Cavaliers
.
for the team's telecasts on FSN Ohio, beginning in 2005–06, and working alongside Michael Reghi
. After two seasons, on 20 October 2007, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
reported he would join the Bucks' commentary team. Besides doing pre and post-game analysis for home games, he also called some games while a popular email
er on the Tony Kornheiser
radio show.
In 2008, Williams became a color commentator for another former team, the Suns, broadcasting with Tom Leander and Gary Bender.
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 in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Standing at 6' 10", he was capable of playing as a power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
or a center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
.
Early life / College career
Williams' parents died on October 15, 1987, when his father shot and killed his mother in their garage, then turned the gun on himself. He was 19 years old, and was in his sophomoreSophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
; coach Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
notified him of the tragedy.
Growing up, Williams was a passionate Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
fan.
Professionals
UndraftedNBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
in 1990
1990 NBA Draft
The 1990 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1990, in New York City, New York. This draft produced only one perennial All-Star,Gary Payton. Among the 54 picks, Payton is considered by far the best pick of the draft. Payton went on to be considered one of the greatest point guards of all time...
after four years in college, Williams signed with the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
in 1990, playing four seasons with the team, mostly as a reserve, and winning three championship rings
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
in his first three NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
seasons. On 7 June 1991, in game 3 of the finals
1991 NBA Finals
The 1991 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1990–91 NBA season. It was also the first NBA Finals broadcast by NBC after 17 years with CBS....
against the Lakers, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, he scored four points (all from the free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
line), grabbed two rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
and handed out two assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
in only 11 minutes of play, in an eventual 104–96 overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
win.
In 1994, Williams signed with the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, where he played for 4½ injury-plagued seasons before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in 1999. His career saw a brief resurgence in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, where he averaged career-highs of 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds during the 1999–2000 season. Until his retirement in 2005, at the age of 37, he also appeared for the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
(one ½ seasons), the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
(27 games) and the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
.
Post-retirement
Subsequently, Williams accepted the Cavaliers' offer to become a color commentatorColor commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for the team's telecasts on FSN Ohio, beginning in 2005–06, and working alongside Michael Reghi
Michael Reghi
Michael J. Reghi is an American television play-by-play announcer and radio sports talk show host. He is best known for being the former television play-by-play announcer of the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball , and the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association...
. After two seasons, on 20 October 2007, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
reported he would join the Bucks' commentary team. Besides doing pre and post-game analysis for home games, he also called some games while a popular email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
er on the Tony Kornheiser
Tony Kornheiser
Anthony Irwin "Tony" Kornheiser is an American sportswriter and former columnist for The Washington Post, as well as a radio and television talk show host...
radio show.
In 2008, Williams became a color commentator for another former team, the Suns, broadcasting with Tom Leander and Gary Bender.