Marvin Gaye Williams Jr. (born June 19, 1986) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He played one season of

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

before being drafted second overall by the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

in the 2005 NBA draft.

High school career

Born and raised in

Bremerton, Washington Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremer ...

, Williams attended

Bremerton High School Bremerton High School is four-year public secondary school in the port city of Bremerton, Washington, west across Puget Sound from Seattle, in the Bremerton School District. Between 1993 and 2007, Bremerton High School contained grades 10– ...

, where he was a two-time all-state selection and the Washington Player of the Year by the ''

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

''. As a junior in 2002–03, he averaged 23.9 points and 14 rebounds and was named area player of the year. As a senior in 2003–04, he averaged 28.7 points, 15.5 rebounds, 5.1 blocked shots and 5.2 assists. He was subsequently named a McDonald's All-American and earned first-team ''Parade'' All-American honors.

College career

Williams played a lone season at

in 2004–05, helping the Tar Heels win the NCAA championship. His tip-in with 1:26 remaining in the NCAA final against

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

broke a 70–70 tie, propelling UNC to a 75–70 victory. He earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors and was a unanimous selection to the ACC All-Freshman Team. He also earned All-ACC Honorable Mention. In 36 games all off the bench, he averaged 11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 22.2 minutes per game. In April 2005, Williams declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

Professional career

Atlanta Hawks (2005–2012)

Williams was selected by the

with the second overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, going on to earn

NBA All-Rookie Second Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...

honors after averaging 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 79 games during the 2005–06 season. On December 20, 2005, he scored a season-high 26 points against the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

. Williams missed the first 17 games of the 2006–07 season due to a broken bone in his left hand. On January 5, 2007, he scored a season-high 24 points against the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

. He tied that mark on April 13, scoring 24 points against the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

. The 2007–08 season saw Williams average a career-high 14.8 points per game. On January 25, 2008, he scored a career-high 33 points in a 99–90 win over the

Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...

. On February 25, 2009, Williams scored a season-high 31 points against the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

. Between early March and early April of the 2008–09 season, Williams missed 16 games with a lower back injury. Williams knocked down 55 three-pointers on the season after making just 25 in his first three seasons combined. On August 7, 2009, Williams re-signed with the Hawks to a five-year, $37.5 million contract. On November 20, 2009, he scored a season-high 29 points against the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

. On December 5, 2009, he had a career-high 15 rebounds against the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. Th ...

. In early November of the 2010–11 season, Williams missed four games with a right knee injury. Between late December and late January, Williams missed 11 games with a bruised back. On March 27, 2011, he scored a season-high 31 points against the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...

. In the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season, Williams played in 57 of the Hawks' 66 regular-season games. He missed three games in early January with a sprained left ankle, and five games in mid-March with a hip flexor. On April 22, 2012, he scored a season-high 29 points against the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. Williams helped the Hawks advance to the playoffs in five straight seasons between 2008 and 2012, appearing in 42 playoff games (27 starts), after the franchise had failed to make the postseason the previous eight years. He was a two-time recipient (2008 and 2011) of the Hawks' Jason Collier Memorial Trophy for his work as a community ambassador.

Utah Jazz (2012–2014)

On July 11, 2012, Williams was traded to the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

in exchange for Devin Harris. He made his debut for the Jazz in their season opener on October 31, 2012, scoring 21 points in a 113–94 win over the

. He failed to surpass that scoring mark during the season, recording one other 20-point game on November 23 against the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. Williams missed the first five games and last four games of the 2013–14 season. In February 2014, he twice scored a season-high 23 points.

Charlotte Hornets (2014–2020)

On July 21, 2014, Williams signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

. He made his debut for the Hornets in their season opener on October 29, 2014, scoring 19 points 108–106 win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...

. He failed to surpass that scoring mark during the season. On February 5, 2016, Williams scored a season-high 27 points in a 98–95 loss to the

. Williams totaled 521 rebounds and 152 three-point field goals, making him one of only five players to tally at least 500 rebounds and 150 three-pointers in 2015–16 – along with

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball f ...

Paul George Paul Clifton Anthony George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "PG-13", he is a seven-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of th ...

James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in N ...

and

Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star Game, All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA ...

– and the first player in Charlotte NBA history to do so. His 152 three-point field goals marked the third-best single-season total ever by a Charlotte forward, trailing only Glen Rice's 1996–97 and 1995–96 seasons. On July 10, 2016, Williams re-signed with the Hornets to a four-year, $54.5 million contract. On March 10, 2017, he grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds in a 121–81 win over the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

. On March 11, he scored a season-high 27 points in a 125–122 overtime loss to the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

. On March 13, he tied a career high with 18 rebounds in a 115–109 loss to the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

. On January 15, 2018, Williams scored a season-high 21 points against the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

. On December 21, 2018, Williams made a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored a then season-high 24 points in a 98–86 win over the Pistons. On January 23, 2019, against the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

, Williams passed

Rex Chapman Rex Everett Chapman (born October 5, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player and social media influencer. Chapman was a high school phenom in Kentucky, winning numerous awards for his play. In two seasons at the University of ...

for 12th on the franchise's scoring list. On March 8, he made seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 30 points in a 112–111 win over the

. On June 11, 2019, Williams exercised his $15 million player option for the 2019–20 season. On February 8, 2020, the Hornets reached a contract buyout agreement with Williams.

Milwaukee Bucks (2020)

On February 10, 2020, Williams signed with the

. On August 29, Williams scored 12 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while coming off the bench for the Bucks in a deciding Game 5 win to end a round one matchup versus the

, in the NBA Bubble. On September 8, following the Bucks' second-round playoff exit after an upset loss against the

, Williams announced his retirement from professional basketball.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, 79 , , 7 , , 24.7 , , .443 , , .245 , , .747 , , 4.8 , , .8 , , .6 , , .3 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 64 , , 63 , , 34.0 , , .433 , , .244 , , .815 , , 5.3 , , 1.9 , , .8 , , .5 , , 13.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 34.6 , , .462 , , .100 , , .822 , , 5.7 , , 1.7 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 14.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 61 , , 59 , , 34.3 , , .458 , , .355 , , .806 , , 6.3 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , .6 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 30.4 , , .455 , , .303 , , .819 , , 5.1 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , .6 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 65 , , 52 , , 28.7 , , .458 , , .336 , , .845 , , 4.8 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .4 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 57 , , 37 , , 26.3 , , .432 , , .389 , , .788 , , 5.2 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , .3 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

, 73 , , 51 , , 23.7 , , .423 , , .325 , , .778 , , 3.6 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , .5 , , 7.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 66 , , 50 , , 25.4 , , .439 , , .359 , , .781 , , 5.1 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , .5 , , 9.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, 78 , , 37 , , 26.1 , , .424 , , .358 , , .713 , , 4.9 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , .5 , , 7.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 28.9 , , .452 , , .402 , , .833 , , 6.4 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 1.0 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 76 , , 76 , , 30.2 , , .422 , , .350 , , .873 , , 6.6 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .7 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , 78 , , 25.7 , , .458 , , .413 , , .829 , , 4.7 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .5 , , 9.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 75 , , 28.4 , , .422 , , .366 , , .767 , , 5.4 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , .8 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 41 , , 1 , , 19.7 , , .448 , , .376 , , .860 , , 2.7 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , .5 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

, 17 , , 0 , , 18.9 , , .439 , , .308 , , .857 , , 4.4 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , .5 , , 4.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 1,072 , , 828 , , 28.2 , , .443 , , .362 , , .808 , , 5.2 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .5 , , 10.2

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 7 , , 28.4 , , .414 , , .000 , , .889 , , 4.0 , , .7 , , .3 , , .4 , , 11.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 3 , , 16.2 , , .345 , , .167 , , .692 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .3 , , 5.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 11 , , 31.4 , , .392 , , .500 , , .906 , , 5.7 , , .7 , , .6 , , .5 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 3 , , 18.0 , , .393 , , .273 , , .769 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .8 , , .6 , , 4.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 3 , , 24.2 , , .356 , , .500 , , .778 , , 5.5 , , .8 , , .5 , , .3 , , 7.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 7 , , 32.6 , , .275 , , .353 , , .500 , , 6.9 , , .9 , , .9 , , .4 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 0 , , 17.9 , , .447 , , .435 , , 1.000 , , 4.8 , , .9 , , .5 , , .3 , , 5.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 59 , , 34 , , 23.9 , , .378 , , .387 , , .836 , , 4.3 , , .8 , , .6 , , .4 , , 6.7

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2004–05 , style="text-align:left;",

, 36 , , 0 , , 22.2 , , .506 , , .432 , , .847 , , 6.6 , , .7 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , 11.3

Personal life

Williams is the son of Marvin Williams Sr. and Andrea Gittens. He has two brothers, Demetrius and J’Tonn. Williams, whose middle name is Gaye, said about his middle name: "I was named after my dad. My grandma named my dad after

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

." In July 2014, Williams completed his degree in African-American studies at North Carolina. For nine years, he attended summer school and some classes during the NBA season, studying both after practice and on the road.

References

External links

North Carolina Tar Heels bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Marvin 1986 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks draft picks Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from Washington (state) Charlotte Hornets players McDonald's High School All-Americans Milwaukee Bucks players North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Bremerton, Washington Power forwards (basketball) Small forwards Sportspeople from the Seattle metropolitan area Utah Jazz players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people