Shelden DeMar Williams (born October 21, 1983) 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. Nicknamed "the Landlord", 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

Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the N ...

, and later played in the NBA for parts of seven seasons. Williams earned the 2005 and 2006

NABC Defensive Player of the Year The NABC Defensive Player of the Year is a college basketball award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to recognize the top men's defensive player in NCAA Division I competition. It has been given since 1987 a ...

Awards while at Duke, becoming only the fifth player in history to earn the award two consecutive years. He holds Duke's career blocks record, single-season blocks record, and career rebounding record.

High school career

During high school, Williams was a member of the National Honor Society and the

Fellowship of Christian Athletes The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international nonprofit Christian sports ministry based in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City. History FCA was founded in 1954 by Eastern Oklahoma State College, Eastern Oklahoma A&M basketball c ...

. *2002 EA Sports High School All-America selection *Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year: 2001, 2002 *2001 USA Today Oklahoma Player of the Year *Oklahoma Player of the Year in 2001 by the Daily Oklahoman *Oklahoma Defensive Player of the Year: 2000, 2001 *Ranked number 49 in the nation among all players by ESPN.com following his senior season (averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists as a senior) *Rated the nation's fifth-best prep player by Future Stars and BlueChipHoops.com and sixth by College Basketball News entering the 2001–02 season *The Sporting News listed Williams as the nation's sixth-best prep player entering 2001–02 *Rated the nation's number one forward by Basketball News and Prepstar *Three-time all-state, all-district and all-city selection (1999–2001) *2001 Parade All-America

College career

Williams played for the Duke University men's basketball team from 2002 to 2006. He majored in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

with a markets and management studies certificate. Williams became only the third Duke basketball player to record a triple-double when Duke defeated Maryland on January 11, 2006, recording 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks. On January 28, 2007, Duke retired Williams' No. 23 jersey. Williams is the third player in ACC history to have 1,500

points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...

, 1,000 rebounds, 350 blocks and 150 steals (joining

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Sp ...

and Ralph Sampson). His 1,217 rebounds and 1,859 career points rank him seventh in ACC history and sixteenth in Duke history, respectively.

Records

As of graduating from Duke University, Williams held records for: *Duke all-time leader in blocked shots (422) *Duke all-time leader in rebounds *Duke single season blocked shots

Awards

National Association of Basketball Coaches The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of men's college basketball coaches. It was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the men's basketball head coach for the Univ ...

Defensive Player of the Year: 2005, 2006 *

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

First Team All American: 2006 * John R. Wooden First Team All American: 2006 *Senior CLASS All-Senior All American Team: 2006 *John R. Wooden National Player of the Year Finalist: 2006 *NBA Rookie of the Month: April 2007

Professional career

Atlanta Hawks (2006–2008)

Williams was selected by 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 ...

with the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft. On July 10, 2006, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Hawks. On November 1, Williams made his NBA debut, recording three rebounds and one block in a 75–88 loss to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

. On April 16, 2007, he logged a season-high 17 rebounds, alongside 16 points, in a 96–102 loss to the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. A day later, he scored a season-high 21 points, alongside ten rebounds, in a 118–102 win over 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 ...

. Williams was named the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in April.

Sacramento Kings (2008–2009)

On February 16, 2008, Williams was traded, alongside Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue,

Lorenzen Wright Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright (November 4, 1975 – July 19, 2010) was an American professional basketball player for thirteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted seventh overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Los An ...

and a 2008 second-round pick, to the

Sacramento 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 Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

in exchange for

Mike Bibby Michael Bibby (born May 13, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach at California State University, Sacramento. He played for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He last served as the ...

.
Kings sending guard Bibby to Hawks for four players On April 15, Williams logged a season-high 11 rebounds, alongside 12 points and three steals, in a 101–124 loss to the

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

. He averaged 0.7 points per game.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2009)

On February 19, 2009, Williams was traded, alongside

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown Sr. (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and dancer. Alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, he is recognized as a pioneer of new jack swing: a fusion of hip-hop and Contemporary R&B, R ...

, to 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 ...

in exchange for Rashad McCants and Calvin Booth.

Boston Celtics (2009–2010)

On August 7, 2009, Williams signed a one-year contract 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 Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

Denver Nuggets (2010–2011)

On July 14, 2010, Williams signed a one-year contract with the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

New York Knicks (2011)

On February 22, 2011, Williams was traded to 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 Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

in a three-way blockbuster deal also involving

that brought Carmelo Anthony to New York.

New Jersey Nets (2011–2012)

On December 13, 2011, Williams signed with the

New Jersey 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 ...

Élan Chalon (2012–2013)

On August 28, 2012, Williams signed a one-year contract with the French League champions

Élan Chalon Élan Sportif Chalonnais, commonly known as Élan Chalon, is a French professional basketball club that is based in Chalon-sur-Saône, France. The team's main colors are red and white, and their mascot is a moose. The team's home arena is called ...

. Over 10 games in the 2012–13 Euroleague season, he averaged 11.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Tianjin Ronggang (2013–2015)

In October 2013, Williams signed with Tianjin Ronggang of China.30岁大前锋加盟天津男篮张润起：他是第一选择
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Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

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, 36 , , 0 , , 11.5 , , .370 , , .000 , , .686 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .4 , , .4 , , 3.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

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, 30 , , 0 , , 10.2 , , .449 , , .000 , , .762 , , 2.6 , , .3 , , .4 , , .3 , , .7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

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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 ...

, 54 , , 0 , , 11.1 , , .521 , , .000 , , .765 , , 2.7 , , .4 , , .2 , , .4 , , 3.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, 42 , , 32 , , 17.0 , , .453 , , .000 , , .739 , , 5.3 , , .5 , , .4 , , .5 , , 4.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , New York , 17 , , 6 , , 11.6 , , .538 , , .000 , , .828 , , 2.9 , , .8 , , .3 , , .2 , , 3.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, 58 , , 35 , , 22.0 , , .478 , , .000 , , .731 , , 6.0 , , .6 , , .8 , , .7 , , 4.6 , - class="sortbottom" , align="left" , Career , align="left" , , 361 , , 104 , , 15.5 , , .462 , , .222 , , .740 , , 4.3 , , .5 , , .5 , , .5 , , 4.5

Playoffs

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2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

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Euroleague

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, 10 , , 10 , , 23.0 , , .518 , , .000 , , .641 , , 7.6 , , 1.1 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 11.3 , , 14.8

Personal life

On November 13, 2008, Williams married former

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

Lady Vols and Las Vegas Aces basketball star Candace Parker. They have a daughter named Lailaa. In November 2016, Williams filed for divorce claiming irreconcilable differences. They had been living separately for 3 months prior to the divorce. They share joint custody with neither paying child support to the other. Shelden started the Shelden Williams Foundation in 2019. The Shelden Williams Foundation is dedicated to empowering student athletes and their families by delivering and supporting initiatives that promote emotional and physical health through sports, education, and community involvement.

References

External links

SheldenWilliams.com
Shelden's Official Website * *
Euroleague.net Profile

Shelden Williams has spent the last four years at Duke coming out of his shell – ESPN The Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Shelden 1983 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in France American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks draft picks Atlanta Hawks players Basketball coaches from Oklahoma Basketball players from Oklahoma Boston Celtics players Centers (basketball) College Park Skyhawks coaches Denver Nuggets players Duke Blue Devils men's basketball players Élan Chalon players Erie BayHawks (2017–2019) coaches Medalists at the 2005 Summer Universiade Minnesota Timberwolves players New Jersey Nets players New York Knicks players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Sportspeople from Midwest City, Oklahoma Power forwards Sacramento Kings players Tianjin Pioneers players FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States Summer World University Games medalists in basketball