Arthur T. Williams (September 29, 1939 – September 27, 2018), also known as Hambone Williams, was an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player.
A 6'1"
guard from
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona, CPP, or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo. See the ''name'' section of this article for more info ...
, Williams played seven seasons (1967–1974) in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
as a member of the
San Diego Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an Major North American professional sports teams, American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), Western ...
and
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of ...
. Williams became the second player in NBA history to record a
triple-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
within his first four NBA games, joining
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
. He averaged 5.3
points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by ...
in his career and won an NBA Championship with Boston in 1974. He received his nickname in junior high when someone called out, "''hambone"'' and he turned around.
Williams also played briefly with the
San Diego Conquistadors
The San Diego Conquistadors (known as the San Diego Sails in their final, partial season), were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in San Diego. The "Q's", as they were popularly known, played from 1972 to 1975. As the Sails, the ...
of the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...
in 1974–1975.
After suffering a stroke, Williams died on September 27, 2018 at the age of 78.
See also
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References
External links
1939 births
2018 deaths
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Texas
Boston Celtics players
Cal Poly Pomona Broncos men's basketball players
People from Bonham, Texas
Point guards
San Diego Conquistadors players
San Diego Rockets players
Undrafted National Basketball Association players
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