Freeman Williams Jr. (May 15, 1956 – April 19, 2022) 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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player 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). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the Portland State Vikings, where he was a two-time

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

and twice led the nation in scoring. He began his NBA career playing years with the San Diego Clippers, and also had stints with 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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

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 ...

and

Washington Bullets 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 Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

College career

Williams attended

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the next ...

, where he became the school's all-time scoring leader. He was the NCAA scoring champion in 1977 and 1978, and a consensus second-team

in 1978. He is third in Division I history in career scoring, trailing only Pete Maravich and Antoine Davis.

Professional career

Williams was a 1978 first round draft pick (8th overall) by the

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 Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

. His pro playing career started in 1978 with the San Diego Clippers. On January 19, 1980, Williams scored 51 points in a game against the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

. In December 1980, Freeman became the first Clippers player to win a Player of the Month award, and the only one in franchise history until Elton Brand did so 25 years later. He finished in the top 10 in

three-point field goal A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or triple) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two ...

s for three consecutive seasons from 1980 through 1982. In the middle of the 1981-82 season, the Clippers traded Williams to the

for Al Wood and Charlie Criss. In September 1982, Williams was traded along with John Drew and cash to the

in exchange for Dominique Wilkins, who was drafted by the Jazz and refused to sign. After that season ( 1982–83), Williams only played in 27 more games: 18 with Utah in 1983 and nine with the

in 1986. Williams played in the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...

(CBA) for the Tampa Bay Thrillers from 1984 to 1986 and the Pensacola Tornados during the 1987–88 season. He won a CBA championship with the Thrillers in 1985. He was selected as the CBA Playoff/Finals Most Valuable Player in 1985. In 1987, Williams played in the

Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines, composed of twelve company-branded Franchising, franchise teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia ...

(PBA) for the Tanduay Rhum Masters, where he famously scored 82 points, including 10 three-pointers, in one game.

Personal life

Freeman had a small part in the 1992 film '' White Men Can't Jump'', playing fictional playground legend Duck Johnson. During and after his playing career, Williams struggled with

substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...

issues. After his professional basketball career ended, he became close friends with John Lucas II, who also struggled with substance abuse, and Lucas became a mentor of sorts to Williams. Williams died on April 19, 2022. He was 65.

Career statistics

References

External links