Ronnie Williams (April 29, 1962 – November 7, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the

Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...

. Williams played professionally 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) and United States Basketball League (USBL).

Early life

Williams attended St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin.

College career

Williams was recruited by

assistant coach Monte Towe, who noticed Williams at a summer league tournament in Harlem during the late-1970s. Williams was a four-time All- Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection and led the Gators in scoring each season he played. Williams holds the Gators' records in points, field goals made, free throws made and free throws attempted.

Suspension

Williams was suspended along with three teammates for the first month of the 1982–83 season due to a telephone fraud case. Williams, Vernon Delancy, Tony Rogers and Rodney Williams of the Florida Gators basketball team, along with Gators football player Lorenzo Hampton and sprinter Roger Dixon, were charged with making more than $1,600 in illegal telephone calls and placing them on the University Athletic Association's bill. The suspended players were required to repay the telephone company and maintain good behavior for one year.

Professional career

Williams was selected 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 league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

as the 47th overall pick in the

1984 NBA draft The 1984 NBA draft was the 37th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on June 19, 1984, before the 1984–85 season. The draft is generally c ...

but never played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the

for the Tampa Bay Thrillers, the Pensacola Tornados and the

Mississippi Jets The La Crosse Bobcats were a Continental Basketball Association basketball team located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, from 1996 to the league's bankruptcy in February 2001. The Bobcats were the second CBA team located in La Crosse; previously, the L ...

. After his first season in the CBA he was back with the Boston Celtics for the 1985–86 preseason, but was cut in early October 1985 by Celtics coach K. C. Jones. Williams played with the Palm Beach Stingrays of the United States Basketball League (USBL) in 1987 and in 1988. He was released after one month with the team on June 22, 1988. Williams retired from playing basketball in 1988.

Personal life

After his playing career, Williams worked at a juvenile detention center in Brooklyn for over 20 years. He had six children.

Death

Williams died on November 7, 2021, in New York City after a two-year struggle with brain cancer.

Career statistics

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1980–81 , style="text-align:left;", Florida , 28 , , – , , 35.3 , , .575 , , – , , .610 , , 9.0 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , 19.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1981–82 , style="text-align:left;", Florida , 27 , , – , , 36.8 , , .597 , , – , , .728 , , 8.2 , , 1.3 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , 21.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1982–83 , style="text-align:left;", Florida , 28 , , 27 , , 35.9 , , .580 , , – , , .723 , , 8.8 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 18.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1983–84 , style="text-align:left;", Florida , 27 , , 27 , , 34.9 , , .586 , , – , , .716 , , 8.7 , , 1.7 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , 16.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 110 , , 54 , , 35.7 , , .585 , , – , , .696 , , 8.7 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , .8 , , 19.0

References

External links

College statisticsCBA statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Ronnie 1962 births 2021 deaths 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Boston Celtics draft picks Florida Gators men's basketball players Jacksonville Jets (CBA) players Mississippi Jets players Pensacola Tornados (1985–86) players Power forwards (basketball) Basketball players from Queens, New York Tampa Bay Thrillers players Deaths from brain cancer in the United States