William Edward Paultz (born July 30, 1948) 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 (appro ...
player who played in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) and in the now defunct
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
1976
Events January
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River Dell Regional High School
River Dell High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school, part of the River Dell Regional School District, which is shared with the neighboring communities of Oradell and River Edge in Bergen County, in the U.S. state ...
in
Bergen County
Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Cameron Junior College and then at Saint John's University, and was selected in the seventh round of the
1970 NBA draft
The 1970 NBA draft was the 24th annual NBA draft, draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 23, 1970, before the 1970–71 NBA season, 1970–71 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amate ...
Virginia Squires
The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976.
The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...
in the 1970 ABA Draft. Paultz opted to sign with the Squires. On August 11, 1970, the Squires traded his rights to the
New York Nets
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* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013
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in exchange for a draft choice and cash.
Professional basketball
As a rookie, Paultz made his first postseason appearance in the
1971 ABA Playoffs
The 1971 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1970–71 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Utah Stars defeating the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels, ...
with the
New York Nets
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995
* "New" (Daya song), 2017
* "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
, during which he averaged 20.2 points, 15 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. On December 17, 1971, Paultz scored 27 points and set a Nets' franchise record by pulling down 33 rebounds in a 90–83 victory over the
Dallas Chaparrals
The Dallas Chaparrals were a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The team moved to San Antonio, Texas, for the 1973–74 season and were renamed the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs joined the National Basketball Association ...
. He spent his first five seasons, all of which resulted in trips to the playoffs, with the ABA Nets (including an appearance in 1972 ABA Finals, which the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
won in six games), and was a key player in their 1973–74 ABA championship season. He was then traded to the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
where he made four consecutive appearances in the playoffs from 1976 to 1979.
Although Paultz moved with a bulky stiffness, he was a very heady player.
During the middle of the 1979-1980 season, San Antonio traded Paultz to 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 of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
, and due to the trade, he managed to play 84 games during an 82-game NBA season. The next year, Paultz teamed with
Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone Sr. (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A ...
to make the 1981 NBA Finals. In Game 1 of the series, Paultz scored 14 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, during a 98–95 loss to the Celtics (who would win the series four games to two). During the 1982–83 season without Malone, and with the Rockets in last place, he was placed on waivers and picked up by the playoff-bound Spurs. In 1984, he was a late season pickup by the playoff bound
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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
. He finished his career with 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 Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
in 1985.
A four-time ABA
All-Star
An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry.
Sports
"All-star" as a sport ...
, Paultz led the ABA in blocked shots during the 1975–76 season with an average of 3.0 blocks per game and a league-leading total of 253 blocked shots.Billy Paultz Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more , Basketball-Reference.com Basketball Reference. Accessed January 8, 2024.
About his play, Paultz stated, "I have realized that I'm not an overpowering type center. I don't really know what my category is. I have always been the type of player that can do a little bit of everything."