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 court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball 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 in the United St ...
(NBA). He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for the
Portland State Vikings
Portland State Vikings is the nickname of the NCAA-affiliated, intercollegiate athletic teams representing Portland State University of Portland, Oregon. The Vikings compete at the NCAA Division I level in basketball, soccer, volleyball, golf, t ...
, where he was a two-time
All-American 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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
,
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 league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
.
College career
Williams attended
Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. 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 following two decad ...
, where he became the school's all-time scoring leader. He was the
NCAA Division I scoring leader in 1977 and 1978, and a consensus second-team
All-American in 1978. He is second in
Division I history in career scoring, trailing only
Pete Maravich
Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and raised i ...
.
Professional career
Williams was a
1978 first round draft pick (8th overall) by the
Boston Celtics. His pro playing career started in 1978 with the
San Diego Clippers. He finished in the top 10 in
three-point field goal
A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) 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 poi ...
s for three consecutive seasons from 1980 through 1982. 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
Elton Tyron Brand (born March 11, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player and the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing college basketball for Duke, he was selecte ...
did so 25 years later. In the middle of the
1981-82 season, the Clippers traded Williams to 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 ...
for
Al Wood
Martin Alphonzo Wood (born June 2, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player who played in six National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons for four teams: the Atlanta Hawks, San Diego Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics and Dallas M ...
and
Charlie Criss.
In September 1982, Williams was traded along with
John Drew and cash to the
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 league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
in exchange for
Dominique Wilkins
Jacques Dominique Wilkins (born January 12, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Wilkins was a nine-time NBA All-Star, a seven-time All ...
, 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
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 1986.
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 franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
(PBA) for the
Tanduay Rhum Masters
The Tanduay Rhum Makers (1975-1987) and Tanduay Rhum Masters (1999-2001) were two basketball franchises associated with the same liquor brand that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The original franchise, owned by Elizald ...
, 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
''White Men Can't Jump'' is a 1992 American sports comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton. It stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers. The film was released in the United States on March 27, 1992, by 20th Century ...
'', playing fictional playground legend Duck Johnson.
Williams died on April 19, 2022. He was 65.
Career statistics
See also
*
List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 60 or more points in a game
*
List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders
__NOTOC__
In basketball, points are the sum of the score accumulated through free throw or field goal. The National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I scoring title is awarded to the player with the highest points per game (ppg) a ...
*
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Freeman
1956 births
2022 deaths
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Los Angeles
Boston Celtics draft picks
Philippine Basketball Association imports
Portland State Vikings men's basketball players
San Diego Clippers players
Shooting guards
Small forwards
Tampa Bay Thrillers players
Tanduay Rhum Masters players
United States Basketball League players
Utah Jazz players
Washington Bullets players