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 (appr ...

player. Nicknamed "The Landlord", he played college basketball for the

Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the 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 National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...

, 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 an award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to recognize the top defensive player in United States college basketball. The award has been given since 1987 and was previously kn ...

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 The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...

and the

Fellowship of Christian Athletes The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international non-profit Christian sports ministry founded in 1954 and based in Kansas City, Missouri. It has staff offices located throughout the United States and abroad. History FCA was foun ...

. *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 ''PrepStar College Recruiting'', known also as ''PrepStar'', is an online magazine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first maga ...

*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 a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

with a markets and management studies certificate. Williams became only the third Duke basketball player to record a

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 ...

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 Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Points ...

, 1,000

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

, 350 blocks and 150 steals (joining

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Big Fundamental", he is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the greatest players in NBA histor ...

and

Ralph Sampson Ralph Lee Sampson Jr. (born July 7, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A phenom, three-time college national player of the year, and first overall selec ...

). 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, head men's basketball coach at the University ...

Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding Defense (sports), defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for D ...

: 2005, 2006 *

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

First Team All American: 2006 *

John R. Wooden John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed the Wizard of Westwood, he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships in a 12-year period as hea ...

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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

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, colloquially known 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 league's Ea ...

. 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 league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...

. 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 league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...

. 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 Tyronn Jamar Lue (pronounced ''Ta-RON LEW''; born May 3, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He formerly served as ...

Lorenzen Wright Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright (November 4, 1975 – July 19, 2010) was an American professional basketball player for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He was drafted seventh overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers ...

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 Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

in exchange for

Mike Bibby Michael Bibby (born May 13, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. He played professionally for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He last served as the head coach for Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix, ...

.
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 league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

Minnesota Timberwolves (2009)

On February 19, 2009, Williams was traded, alongside

Bobby Brown Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...

, to the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

in exchange for

Rashad McCants Rashad Dion McCants (born September 25, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as overseas. He played for Trilogy in the BIG3 three-on-three league. High scho ...

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

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 league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

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 New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

in a three-way blockbuster deal also involving

that brought

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team ...

to New York.

New Jersey Nets (2011–2012)

On December 13, 2011, Williams signed with 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 ...

Élan Chalon (2012–2013)

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

French League The French League (: "French League for purging, mutual aid and European collaboration") was a collaborationist Wartime collaboration is cooperation with the enemy against one's country of citizenship in wartime, and in the words of historian G ...

champions Élan Chalon. Over 10 games in the

2012–13 Euroleague The 2012–13 Euroleague was the 13th season of the modern era of Euroleague Basketball and the third under the title sponsorship of the Turkish Airlines. Including the competition's previous incarnation as the FIBA Europe Champions Cup, this was ...

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 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 498,7 ...

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Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

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Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

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Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

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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 * '' ...

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New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

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Playoffs

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Euroleague

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2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

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Personal life

On November 13, 2008, Williams married former

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th sta ...

Lady Vols The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition. The team has been a contender for national titles for over thirty years, having made every NC ...

and current

Chicago Sky The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2 ...

basketball star

Candace Parker Candace Nicole Parker (born April 19, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was selected as the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft by the Los Ang ...

. 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. For more info on the Shelden Williams Foundation, go to the website to see the latest events https://sheldenwilliamsfoundation.com/

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 African-American basketball players 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 Minnesota Timberwolves players New Jersey Nets players New York Knicks players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Midwest City, Oklahoma Power forwards (basketball) Sacramento Kings players Sportspeople from Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Tianjin Pioneers players Universiade gold medalists for the United States Universiade medalists in basketball Medalists at the 2005 Summer Universiade 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people