Robert Lee Williams III (born October 17, 1997), nicknamed “Time Lord”, is 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 for the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

of 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

Texas A&M Aggies The Texas A&M Aggies are the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "wikt:aggie#Etymology 2, Aggie" was once common at land-grant or "ag" (agriculture) schools in many states. The teams are also simply referr ...

. Williams was drafted 27th overall in the

2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including internationa ...

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), ...

. He had a breakout season in 2021–22, which saw him being named to the

NBA All-Defensive Second Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

and reaching the

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

as the Celtics' starting center.

High school career

Williams attended

North Caddo High School North Caddo High School is a public high school in Vivian, Louisiana. The school is a part of Caddo Public Schools. History Established in 1955, North Caddo High School is home to the Titans. The official school colors are red and black. Athle ...

Vivian, Louisiana Vivian is a town in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States and is home to the Redbud Festival. The population was 3,671 at the 2010 census, down from 4,031 in 2000. According to 2020 census data, Vivian is now the fourth-largest municipality in ...

. A consensus four-star recruit, he ranked 50th overall in

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

’s Top 100 for the class of 2016 and was the number one prospect in the state of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. He committed to

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

to play college basketball.

College career

In his first college game, he scored five points and had five blocks and seven rebounds. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and earned Second-Team All-SEC honors after averaging 11.9 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2016–17. On March 21, despite being credited as a potential first round lottery player, Williams decided to forgo the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

and stay for another season at Texas A&M. Following Texas A&M's loss in the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament, Williams announced his intention to forgo his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility and declare for the

, where he was expected to be a first round selection. Williams was viewed as a potential lottery pick for the

and

Professional career

Boston Celtics (2018–2023)

Come the 2018 NBA draft, instead of being a lottery pick, Williams fell to the 27th overall pick where he was selected by the

due to concerns about his work ethic. On July 5, 2018, the

signed Williams. Williams did not initially make a good impression, being criticized for showing up late and missing team functions. His reputation for missing flights and video meetings caused him to earn the moniker "Time Lord" on online Boston Celtics fandoms. Williams made his professional debut on October 23, 2018, playing four minutes during the Celtics' loss to

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

, before being assigned to the

Maine Red Claws The Maine Celtics are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo Building. The Boston Celtics pu ...

on November 2. Throughout November and December, Williams split his time between the

G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

and the NBA, before starting to gain more game time with the Celtics following an injury to

Al Horford Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso (born June 3, 1986), nicknamed Big Al, is a Dominican professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star and won the NBA championship wi ...

. On December 11, 2018, Williams blocked two shots by NBA All Star

Anthony Davis Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993), nicknamed "AD" and "the Brow", is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Davis, a Power forward (basketball), power f ...

during a game against the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

. During the

2021 NBA playoffs The 2021 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2020–21 season. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the NBA for the second consecutive year, the regular season was reduced to 72 games for each tea ...

, Williams dealt with a

turf toe Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses. In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...

injury. In Game 1 of the first round against the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

, Williams blocked 9 shots to set a team playoff record for blocks in a game. He also scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Despite this record, the team lost the game. The injury hobbled Williams for the remainder of the series and Williams left Game 3 with a sprained ankle after playing just 6 minutes. He missed games 4 and 5, and the team lost the series 4–1. On December 31, 2021, Williams recorded his first career

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 ...

, putting up 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, in a 123–108 win over 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 ...

. On March 28, 2022, the Celtics announced that Williams had suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and would be out indefinitely. Two days later, he underwent surgery and was ruled out for at least four-to-six weeks.

Portland Trail Blazers (2023–present)

2023–24

On October 1, 2023, Williams, along with

Malcolm Brogdon Malcolm Moses Adams Brogdon (born December 11, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Virginia Cavaliers und ...

and two future first-round draft picks, was traded to the

in exchange for

Jrue Holiday Jrue Randall Holiday ( ; born June 12, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins before being selecte ...

. On October 25, Williams made his Trail Blazers debut, putting up 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench in a 123–111 loss to the

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

. But his season was cut short, suffering a patellar dislocation after colliding with

Jaren Jackson Jr Jaren Walter Jackson Jr. ( ; born September 15, 1999), nicknamed "the Block Panther", "The Alliteration", and also known by his initials JJJ, is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball As ...

. on the Blazers' November 5 game against Memphis. Having successful right knee surgery a few days later, the injury ended his season after six games.

2024–25

On September 30, 2024, Williams was cleared for training camp after coming off knee surgery. On November 8, Williams made his return from injury putting up 13 points, three rebounds and two assists off the bench in a 127–102 loss against the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

. This game marked the first time he ever scored a

three-pointer 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 p ...

in his NBA career. On November 25, Williams made his first start of the season as well as his first start as a member of the

where he recorded 6 points, one assist, and three rebounds in 12 minutes of action in a 123-98 loss against the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...

, however during the 6:22 mark in second quarter, Williams dove hard for a loose ball and was whistled for a foul on Grizzlies guard

Scotty Pippen Jr. Scotty Maurice Pippen Jr. (born November 10, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball, ...

and hit his head on the floor and took extra time trying to get up, but ended up remaining in the game until the 5:51 mark of the second quarter, but re-entered the game at the 2:31 mark and ended up playing for the remainder of the first half and then didn’t play in the second half and was later evaluated for a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

. Williams made 20 total appearances (3 starts) for Portland during the

2024–25 NBA season The 2024–25 NBA season is the 79th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 22, 2024, and ended on April 13, 2025. The NBA held an in-season tournament for the second consecutive year, now called ...

, averaging 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. On March 20, 2025, Williams underwent an

arthroscopy Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the j ...

to address inflammation in his left knee, necessitating a recovery timetable of 4-to-6 weeks and ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 32 , , 2 , , 8.8 , , .706 , , , , .600 , , 2.5 , , .2 , , .3 , , 1.3 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 29 , , 1 , , 13.4 , , .727 , , , , .647 , , 4.4 , , .9 , , .8 , , 1.2 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 52 , , 13 , , 18.9 , , .721 , , .000 , , .616 , , 6.9 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , 1.8 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 61 , , 61 , , 29.6 , , .736 , , .000 , , .722 , , 9.6 , , 2.0 , , .9 , , 2.2 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 20 , , 23.5 , , .747 , , .000 , , .610 , , 8.3 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , 1.4 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

, 6 , , 0 , , 19.8 , , .654 , , , , .778 , , 6.3 , , .8 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 20 , , 3 , , 17.6 , , .641 , , .333 , , .882 , , 5.9 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 1.7 , , 5.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 235 , , 100 , , 20.2 , , .723 , , .143 , , .674 , , 6.8 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 1.7 , , 7.2

Playoffs

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2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

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, 3 , , 0 , , 4.3 , , .500 , , , , 1.000 , , 2.3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

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, 13 , , 0 , , 11.5 , , .742 , , .000 , , .333 , , 3.9 , , .8 , , .2 , , .5 , , 3.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

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, 3 , , 0 , , 15.3 , , .643 , , , , .500 , , 5.0 , , .7 , , .3 , , 3.0 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

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, 17 , , 15 , , 23.2 , , .679 , , .000 , , .893 , , 6.2 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , 2.2 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

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, 20 , , 4 , , 20.9 , , .788 , , .000 , , .679 , , 6.0 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 1.3 , , 7.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 56 , , 19 , , 18.2 , , .729 , , .000 , , .742 , , 5.3 , , .9 , , .4 , , 1.4 , , 6.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

, 31 , , 17 , , 25.8 , , .558 , , .111 , , .590 , , 8.2 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 2.5 , , 11.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;",

, 30 , , 23 , , 25.6 , , .668 , , .000 , , .471 , , 9.2 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , 2.6 , , 10.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 61 , , 40 , , 25.7 , , .624 , , .067 , , .541 , , 8.7 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 2.5 , , 11.1

Personal life

In July 2018, Williams was revealed to have

popliteal artery entrapment syndrome The popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is an uncommon pathology that occurs when the popliteal artery is compressed by the surrounding popliteal fossa myofascial structures. This results in claudication and chronic leg ischemia. This con ...

(PAES) in both legs. If it degenerates, the vascular disease could require a surgical procedure in the future. Williams has two children, a daughter and son.

Nickname

Early in his career, Williams has attracted the nickname "Time Lord" from Celtics fans, in part based upon his timekeeping faux pas upon signing with the team. This has, in turn, gained attention from Timex.

Danny Ainge Daniel Ray Ainge ( ; born March 17, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and professional baseball player who serves as the chief executive officer for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NB ...

has been recorded as preferring the nickname "Lob".

References

External links

*
Texas A&M Aggies bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams III, Robert 1997 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen American men's basketball players Basketball players from Shreveport, Louisiana Boston Celtics draft picks Boston Celtics players Centers (basketball) Maine Red Claws players North Caddo High School alumni Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball players