Charles Linwood "Buck" Williams (born March 8, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player and former assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. He was well known for his rebounding ability and trademark goggles. Williams, a power forward born in

Rocky Mount, North Carolina Rocky Mount is a city in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, Edgecombe and Nash County, North Carolina, Nash counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The city's population was 54,341 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it ...

, ranks 16th all-time in National Basketball Association (NBA) career rebounds. His 17-year NBA career was highlighted by three All-Star Game appearances, a Rookie of the Year award, an All-Rookie team selection, an All-NBA second team selection and four selections to the first and second NBA All-Defensive teams. Williams led the Nets in rebounding for most of the 1980s and as of the beginning of 2017, he remains the Nets’ all-time leader in total rebounds (7,576), games played (635), minutes played (23,100), rebounds per game (11.9), and free throws made (2,476).

High school and college career

Williams attended Rocky Mount High School (then called Rocky Mount Senior High) in Rocky Mount before going off to play collegiately at the University of Maryland. Williams had immediate success at Maryland, capturing the ACC Rookie of the Year Award in 1979. He led the ACC in rebounding twice (1979 and 1981), while averaging 15.5 points per game in his sophomore and junior years. He earned All-ACC honors in 1980 and 1981. National recognition of his performances came when he was selected to the 1980 USA Olympic basketball team, alongside such players as later two-time NBA champions

Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for ''NBA TV''. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Grea ...

and Mark Aguirre; he, however, never got to represent the national colors in Moscow due to the United States’

boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organization, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict som ...

. In 2002, Williams was one of eight former Maryland players to be named to the

ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team During the 2002–03 school year, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) celebrated its 50th anniversary by selecting the top players in its respective sports. Fifty players were selected for the men's basketball team, which was voted on by a 120-memb ...

. In 2001, he became a member of the University of Maryland's Athletic Hall of Fame.

NBA career

New Jersey Nets (1981–1989)

New Jersey Nets at Charlotte Hornets 1988-12-09 (ticket) (Buck Williams crop)

After three years at Maryland, Williams decided to leave for the NBA. The New Jersey Nets selected him third overall in the

1981 NBA draft The 1981 NBA draft was the 35th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 9, 1981, before the 1981–82 season. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft, 23 NBA te ...

, behind Olympic teammates Aguirre and Thomas. In his first season with the Nets, he averaged 15.5 points and led the team with 12.3 rebounds per game, helping New Jersey win 20 more games (a 44–38 win–loss record) than the previous year and earning 1982 Rookie of the Year honors. Williams established himself as a premier player at the power forward position over the next eight seasons with the Nets; in six of those he was ranked among the best three rebounders in the league, never averaging less than twelve rebounds per game. 1983–84 featured the Nets’ first playoff second-round appearance since the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Nets failed to subsequently get past the first round until 2002 when Jason Kidd led them to an unsuccessful

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...

date.

Portland Trail Blazers (1989–1996)

On June 24, 1989, the Nets traded Williams to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Sam Bowie and a draft pick. In Portland, Williams would continue his solid play and take a complementary frontcourt role to established guard duo Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter. The Blazers’ post-season campaigns ended in the first round four consecutive seasons prior to 1990; contrastingly, Williams’ first three seasons with the Blazers were marked by three Western Conference Finals appearances and two NBA Finals. In 1990 the Blazers succumbed to the powerhouse Detroit Pistons in five games, while in 1992 they fell to the Chicago Bulls in six. Williams was regularly in the starting lineup for the first six of his seven seasons with the Blazers. He is 5th all-time on the franchise career list for both field goal percentage (55.0%) and total rebounds (4861) as of September 2018.

New York Knicks (1996–1998)

In the twilight of his career, after the 1995–96 season, Williams moved back to the Atlantic Division, signing with 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 ...

, where he played in a much more limited capacity, behind the frontcourt duo of Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley. He spent two years with the Knicks, but was forced to miss 41 games during the 1997–98 season due to knee surgery (the first time in his career he missed more than 12 games in a season). Williams announced his retirement on January 27, 1999, holding career averages of 12.8 points and ten rebounds per game and a field goal average of 54.9 percent. During the course of his 17-year NBA career, Williams racked up more than 16,000 points and 13,000 rebounds — the seventh NBA player to reach both marks.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 82 , , 82 , , 34.5 , , .582 , , .000 , , .624 , , 12.3 , , 1.3 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 15.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 82 , , 82 , , 36.1 , , .588 , , .000 , , .620 , , 12.5 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , 1.3 , , 17.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 81 , , 81 , , 37.1 , , .535 , , .000 , , .570 , , 12.3 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , 1.5 , , 15.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 82 , , 82 , , 38.8 , , .530 , , .250 , , .625 , , 12.3 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , 1.3 , , 18.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 82 , , 82 , , 37.4 , , .523 , , .000 , , .676 , , 12.0 , , 1.6 , , .9 , , 1.2 , , 15.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 82 , , 82 , , 36.3 , , .557 , , .000 , , .731 , , 12.5 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , 1.1 , , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 70 , , 70 , , 37.7 , , .560 , , 1.000 , , .668 , , 11.9 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , 18.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 74 , , 72 , , 33.1 , , .531 , , .000 , , .666 , , 9.4 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , .5 , , 13.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, 82 , , 82 , , 34.2 , , .548 , , .000 , , .706 , , 9.8 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .5 , , 13.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 32.3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .602* , , , , .705 , , 9.4 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , .6 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 31.5 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .604* , , .000 , , .754 , , 8.8 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .5 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 30.5 , , .511 , , .000 , , .645 , , 8.4 , , .9 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 32.5 , , .555 , , .000 , , .679 , , 10.4 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , .6 , , 9.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 82 , , 29.5 , , .512 , , .500 , , .673 , , 8.2 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .8 , , 9.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 70 , , 10 , , 23.9 , , .500 , , .667 , , .668 , , 5.8 , , .6 , , .6 , , .7 , , 7.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, 74 , , 4 , , 20.2 , , .537 , , .000 , , .642 , , 5.4 , , .7 , , .5 , , .5 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 41 , , 6 , , 18.0 , , .503 , , , , 732 , , 4.5 , , .5 , , .4 , , .4 , , 4.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 1,307 , , 1,140 , , 32.5 , , .549 , , .167 , , .664 , , 10.0 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .8 , , 12.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 3 , , 0 , , 20.3 , , .526, , , , .455 , , 8.0 , , 2.0 , , .3 , , .7 , , 8.3

Playoffs

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

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 2 , , , , 39.5 , , .538 , , , , .467 , , 10.5 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , 17.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 2 , , , , 42.5 , , .500 , , , , .800 , , 11.5 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 19.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 11 , , , , 43.0 , , .485 , , , , .556 , , 14.1 , , 1.5 , , 1.5 , , 1.5 , , 15.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 3 , , 3 , , 41.0 , , .650 , , , , .733 , , 10.7 , , .3 , , 1.0 , , 1.7 , , 24.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

, style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 3 , , 3 , , 42.0 , , .724 , , , , .769 , , 10.3 , , .7 , , 2.0 , , .3 , , 20.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

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

, 21 , , 21 , , 37.0 , , .508 , , , , .676 , , 9.2 , , 1.9 , , .6 , , .3 , , 13.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

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

, 16 , , 16 , , 37.0 , , .500 , , , , .603 , , 8.9 , , .9 , , .6 , , .3 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

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

, 21 , , 21 , , 36.1 , , .508 , , , , .758 , , 8.5 , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , 9.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

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

, 4 , , 4 , , 36.1 , , .478 , , , , .684 , , 7.3 , , .3 , , .3 , , .8 , , 8.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

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

, 4 , , 4 , , 36.1 , , .679 , , , , .867 , , 8.8 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

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

, 3 , , 3 , , 36.1 , , .600 , , , , .636 , , 6.3 , , .3 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

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

, 5 , , 1 , , 26.6 , , .391 , , .500 , , .714 , , 5.0 , , .2 , , .2 , , .8 , , 4.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

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

, 10 , , 1 , , 19.3 , , .486 , , , , .529 , , 4.0 , , .6 , , .3 , , .4 , , 4.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

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

, 3 , , 0 , , 15.0 , , .444 , , , , .750 , , 5.3 , , .3 , , .0 , , .3 , , 4.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 108 , , 77 , , 34.4 , , .520 , , .500 , , .672 , , 8.7 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .6 , , 11.2

After basketball

Williams served as the president of the NBA Players Association from 1994 to 1997. The Nets retired his #52 jersey in April 1999. In 2006, he was named as an inductee into the Rocky Mount Twin County Hall of Fame.http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/10/04/hall.html In 2018, he was named to the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Coaching career

In July 2010, Williams was hired by Nate McMillan as an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers.

References

External links

NBA - Celebrating our heritage profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Buck 1960 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from North Carolina Basketball players from North Carolina Maryland Terrapins men's basketball players National Basketball Association All-Stars National Basketball Association players with retired numbers National Basketball Players Association presidents New Jersey Nets draft picks New Jersey Nets players New York Knicks players Portland Trail Blazers assistant coaches Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards (basketball) Sportspeople from Rocky Mount, North Carolina 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople

High school and college career

NBA career

New Jersey Nets (1981–1989)

Portland Trail Blazers (1989–1996)

New York Knicks (1996–1998)

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

After basketball

Coaching career

See also

References

External links