Elliot Jerell Williams (born June 20, 1989) 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 court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. 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

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

and

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

. He was selected with the 22nd overall pick in the

2010 NBA draft The 2010 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2010, at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National ...

by 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 league's Western Con ...

High school career

Considered a five-star recruit by

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

, Williams was listed as the No. 3 shooting guard and the No. 16 player overall in the nation in 2008.

College career

Duke

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 Association ...

, Williams saw action in 34 of Duke's 37 games, starting in 12 contests, with 11 coming in the Blue Devils' final 12 games of the season (including

ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...

and

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

tournaments), averaging 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Williams also recorded 23 assists and 21 steals, and shot 44.1 percent from the field, 25 percent from the three-point arc, and 50 percent from the foul line, in helping lead Duke to a 30–7 overall record, an ACC Tournament crown, and an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance.

Memphis

Williams received an NCAA waiver in August 2009, which allowed him to play immediately for the

Memphis Tigers The Memphis Tigers are the athletic teams that represent the University of Memphis, located in Memphis, Tennessee. The teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the American Athletic C ...

, for the 2009–10 season, after he played with the

during the 2008–09 season. With Memphis, Williams played in a total of 68 career games, with 46 starts, and averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.

Professional career

Portland Trail Blazers (2010–2013)

Williams was selected 22nd overall in the

by the

. After playing in the preseason for the Trail Blazers, Williams missed the entire 2010–11 season due to a knee injury. Williams also missed a significant portion of the 2011–12 NBA season after dislocating his shoulder during an early March practice. Williams had made 24 appearances over the course of the season, averaging 3.7 points per game. Williams missed the entire 2012–13 season due to an Achilles tendon injury.

Philadelphia 76ers (2013–2014)

In September 2013, Williams signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was later waived on October 25. On November 20, 2013, Williams signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 5, 2014, he was assigned to the Delaware 87ers. He was recalled the next day. On October 27, 2014, he was waived by the 76ers.

Santa Cruz Warriors (2014–2015)

On November 1, 2014, Williams was selected by the

Santa Cruz Warriors The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior t ...

with the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA Development League Draft.

Utah Jazz (2015)

On January 7, 2015, Williams signed a 10-day contract with 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), ...

. On January 17, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Jazz, but after the contract expired, the Jazz decided to not retain him.

Return to Santa Cruz (2015)

Williams subsequently returned to Santa Cruz on January 27. On February 4, 2015, he was named to the Futures All-Star team for the 2015

NBA D-League All-Star Game The NBA D-League All-Star Game was an annual exhibition basketball game held by the NBA Development League (D-League). The D-League was founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) and later as the NBA Development League. ...

. That same day, he signed a 10-day contract with the Charlotte Hornets. On February 10, he was waived by the Hornets before appearing in a game for them, and again returned to Santa Cruz.

New Orleans Pelicans (2015)

On March 4, Williams signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. On March 14, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Pelicans.

Third stint with Santa Cruz (2015–2016)

Williams was not retained by the Pelicans following the expiration of his second 10-day contract on March 24, and subsequently returned to Santa Cruz two days later. On April 26, the Warriors claimed their first D-League championship as they defeated the

Fort Wayne Mad Ants The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and are affiliated with the Indiana Pacers. The team plays their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The Mad ...

2 games to 0. Along with his first D-League championship, Williams received the Finals MVP award. On July 28, 2015, Williams signed with the Charlotte Hornets, returning to the team for a second stint. However, he was waived on October 23, after appearing in two preseason games. On November 12, he was reacquired by the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Memphis Grizzlies (2016)

On January 8, 2016, Williams signed a 10-day contract with 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 league's Western Conference ...

. He made his Grizzlies' debut that night in a 91–84 win over the Denver Nuggets, recording two points in nine minutes of action. After the contract expired, the Grizzlies decided to not retain him.

Fourth stint with Santa Cruz (2016)

On January 22, 2016, Williams returned to Santa Cruz. On January 29, he was named in the West All-Star team for the 2016 NBA D-League All-Star Game, earning his second straight All-Star nod.

Panathinaikos (2016)

On February 9, 2016, Williams left Santa Cruz and signed with Greek club

Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...

. In 10 EuroLeague games, he averaged 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.6 steals, in 26.3 minutes per game. In 17

Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...

games, he averaged 11.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.8 steals, in 21.4 minutes per game.

Golden State Warriors (2016)

On September 16, 2016, Williams signed with the Golden State Warriors. However, he was later waived by the Warriors on October 20; he missed all six preseason games, due to right knee surgery.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

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References

External links

NBA.com ProfileEuroleague.net ProfileEurobasket.com ProfileGreek Basket League Profile

Memphis Tigers College BioFor Elliot Williams, Finals MVP Just One Step on a Long Road Back
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Elliot 1989 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Greece Basketball players from Memphis, Tennessee Delaware 87ers players Duke Blue Devils men's basketball players Memphis Grizzlies players Memphis Tigers men's basketball players New Orleans Pelicans players Panathinaikos B.C. players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Philadelphia 76ers players Point guards Portland Trail Blazers draft picks Portland Trail Blazers players Santa Cruz Warriors players Shooting guards Utah Jazz players American men's basketball players