Thomas Ray Williams (October 14, 1954 – March 22, 2013) 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 who played 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 ...

from 1977 to 1987. Born in

Mount Vernon, New York Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the borough of the Bronx. As of the 2020 census, Mount Vernon had a population of 73,893, making it th ...

, he was the younger brother of Gus Williams, who also played in the NBA.

High school and college careers

Williams attended Mount Vernon High School and helped lead the school to two New York State basketball championships. After attending

San Jacinto Junior College San Jacinto College is a public community college in the Greater Houston with its campuses in Pasadena and Houston, Texas. Established in 1961, San Jacinto College originally consisted of the independent school districts (ISD) of Channelview, ...

, Williams played at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

from 1975 to 1977. During that time, he averaged 18.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg.

NBA career

Williams was selected by 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 Associa ...

in the first round of the

1977 NBA draft The 1977 NBA draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 10, 1977, before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball player ...

(10th pick overall). After a quiet first season, he improved his effectiveness on the court, averaging 20.9 ppg, 5 rpg, and 6.2 apg during his third season ( 1979–80) and becoming the team captain during his fourth season. During his time with the Knicks, he reached the NBA Playoffs twice. After four seasons with the Knicks, Williams was traded to the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

on October 25, 1981, in exchange for

Maurice Lucas Maurice Lucas (February 18, 1952 – October 31, 2010) was an American professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a four-time NBA All-Star and won ...

. With the Nets, Williams averaged 20.4 ppg, 4 rpg, and 6 apg ( 1981–82 season). On April 17, 1982, Williams scored 52 points in a game 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 ...

, for the highest-scoring game of his career, and the highest in Nets history until he was surpassed by

Deron Williams Deron Michael Williams ( ; born June 26, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini before being drafted third overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. A thre ...

' 57-point game on March 4, 2012. Williams eventually helped the Nets reach the

1982 NBA Playoffs The 1982 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1981–82 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philade ...

where he averaged 17 ppg, 6 rpg, and 7 apg. However, they ended up being eliminated by the

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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

in the first round. On June 29, 1982, the Nets traded Williams to the

Kansas City 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 ...

for Phil Ford. After one season, they traded him back to the New York Knicks for Billy Knight and an amount of cash. He reached the playoffs once again with the Knicks, averaging 11.2 ppg and 8 apg. In the middle of the 1984–85 season, Williams signed as a free agent with 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 league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of ...

, in exchange for two future draft picks. During this year, he had the chance to play with

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...

and Kevin McHale. With Boston, he reached the playoffs one last time. This time, the Celtics reached the

Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...

, but were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers. Before the 1985–86 season, Williams signed with the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

, with Boston receiving a future draft pick as compensation. The Clippers, however, waived him before the season began. Williams eventually signed 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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

. After 19 games, he was waived by the Hawks, but signed with 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 league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

later. After 23 games, he was also waived by the Spurs and claimed by the Nets. Williams played the remainder of the season with them and remained with the team during the next season, after which he retired. Williams ended with a career average of 15.5 ppg, 5.8 apg, and 3.6 rpg.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1977–78 , 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 * '' ...

, 81 , , ... , , 19.1 , , .443 , , ... , , .705 , , 2.6 , , 4.5 , , 1.3 , , 0.2 , , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1978–79 , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , ... , , 29.3 , , .457 , , ... , , .802 , , 3.6 , , 6.2 , , 1.6 , , 0.2 , , 17.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1979–80 , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , ... , , 31.5 , , .496 , , .189 , , .787 , , 5.0 , , 6.2 , , 2.0 , , 0.3 , , 20.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1980–81 , style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , ... , , 34.7 , , .461 , , .235 , , .817 , , 4.1 , , 5.5 , , 2.3 , , 0.5 , , 19.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1981–82 , style="text-align:left;",

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

, 82 , , 69 , , 33.3 , , .462 , , .167 , , .832 , , 4.0 , , 6.0 , , 2.4 , , 0.5 , , 20.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1982–83 , style="text-align:left;",

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, 72 , , 68 , , 30.1 , , .392 , , .203 , , .769 , , 4.5 , , 7.9 , , 1.7 , , 0.4 , , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1983–84 , style="text-align:left;",

, 76 , , 63 , , 29.3 , , .445 , , .309 , , .827 , , 3.5 , , 5.9 , , 2.1 , , 0.3 , , 14.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1984–85 , style="text-align:left;",

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

, 23 , , 5 , , 20.0 , , .385 , , .261 , , .674 , , 2.5 , , 3.9 , , 1.3 , , 0.2 , , 6.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1985–86 , style="text-align:left;",

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 498,71 ...

, 19 , , 12 , , 19.3 , , .399 , , .364 , , .854 , , 2.4 , , 3.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.1 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1985–86 , style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, 23 , , 9 , , 17.3 , , .382 , , .333 , , .969 , , 1.6 , , 4.8 , , 1.2 , , 0.1 , , 7.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1985–86 , style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 0 , , 12.6 , , .313 , , .000 , , .857 , , 0.8 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 6.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1986–87 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 14 , , 25.0 , , .452 , , .250 , , .817 , , 2.3 , , 5.8 , , 1.2 , , 0.3 , , 9.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 655 , , 240 , , 28.2 , , .451 , , .237 , , .802 , , 3.6 , , 5.8 , , 1.8 , , 0.3 , , 15.5 , -

Playoffs

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

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government). * January 6 – ...

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

, 6 , , ... , , 23.3 , , .526 , , ... , , .885 , , 2.5 , , 5.2 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 17.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major off ...

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

, 2 , , ... , , 42.0 , , .439 , , .333 , , .545 , , 4.0 , , 4.5 , , 2.0 , , 0.0 , , 21.5 , - , 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 Bridge in Washington, D.C., Un ...

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

, 2 , , ... , , 38.5 , , .298 , , .400 , , .800 , , 6.0 , , 7.0 , , 2.0 , , 0.0 , , 17.0 , - , 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 As ...

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

, 11 , , ... , , 28.2 , , .354 , , .167 , , .744 , , 3.5 , , 8.0 , , 1.5 , , 0.1 , , 11.2 , - , 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;",

, 19 , , 0 , , 14.6 , , .405 , , .133 , , .960 , , 1.9 , , 3.2 , , 0.6 , , 0.1 , , 6.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 40 , , ... , , 22.2 , , .403 , , .200 , , .811 , , 2.8 , , 5.1 , , 1.1 , , 0.1 , , 10.6 , -

Post-NBA career

After his retirement, Williams struggled financially, eventually filing for bankruptcy in 1994, which led him to lose his home and family. Williams decided to apply early for his NBA pension of $200,000. After he received it, he moved to Florida, where he fell victim to a

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more genera ...

scam that worsened his financial condition. After that, Williams worked various jobs like

groundskeeper Groundskeeping is the activity of tending an area of land for aesthetic or functional purposes, typically in an institutional setting. It includes mowing grass, trimming hedges, pulling weeds, planting flowers, etc. The U.S. Department of Labor e ...

at a golf course in Central Florida, apartment complex maintenance man, part-time girls basketball coach, and bakery worker, among others. During that time, he also received grants from the NBA Retired Players Association, totaling $10,000, which couldn't help his situation. According to a profile published in ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' in July 2010, he was unemployed and

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

, living inside a car in

Pompano Beach, Florida Pompano Beach ( ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2 ...

. Williams spent his time fishing at the Hillboro Inlet Park in Pompano Beach, to help maintain himself. In November 2010, Williams' luck began to turn around as he took a job in

, working for the city's Recreation Department as a "Recreation Specialist." Mount Vernon Mayor Clinton I. Young, Jr. was instrumental in bringing Williams back to his hometown. Williams was also helped by Linda Crawford, a nurse and a friend from his NBA days. Williams married Linda Crawford in August 2011.

Death

Williams died March 22, 2013 at

Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital. MSKCC is one of 52 National Cancer Institute� ...

in New York City after suffering from

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

. Williams was 58.

References

External links

NBA statistics
@ basketballreference.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Ray 1954 births 2013 deaths African-American basketball coaches African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Basketball coaches from New York (state) Basketball players from New York City Boston Celtics players Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Deaths from colorectal cancer High school basketball coaches in the United States Homeless people Junior college men's basketball players in the United States Kansas City Kings players Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball players New Jersey Nets players New York Knicks draft picks New York Knicks players Sportspeople from Mount Vernon, New York People from Pompano Beach, Florida San Antonio Spurs players Shooting guards Sportspeople from Manhattan 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people Mount Vernon High School (New York) alumni