Gus Williams performed six seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics, averaging 20.3 factors and 6 assists a recreation. (AP Picture)
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Gus Williams, the purpose guard “Wizard” who helped lead the Seattle SuperSonics to their solely NBA championship in 1979, died Wednesday almost 5 years after struggling a stroke. He was 71.
Nicknamed “the Wizard” for his combo of velocity, athleticism and scoring, Williams spent six seasons of his NBA profession with the SuperSonics. He was a dynamic score-first level guard at a time that type of participant wasn’t a regularity within the skilled recreation and developed from being a second-round select of school at USC into top-of-the-line guards of his technology.
Williams’ profession ended after spending the 1986-87 season with the Atlanta Hawks and his profession started as a draft decide of the Golden State Warriors. However his profession will likely be endlessly outlined by what he did throughout his time in Seattle.
Throughout his profession, Williams earned two All-Star Recreation appearances, one All-NBA first-team choice in 1982 and was All-NBA second-team in 1980. He was additionally prepared to conflict with administration and sat out your entire 1980-81 season due to a contract dispute with SuperSonics administration. His absence was so vital, the Sonics tumbled, going from profitable 56 video games in 1979-80 to 34 wins the next season.
When Williams returned for the 1981-82 season, he averaged a career-high 23.4 factors per recreation, completed fifth in MVP voting and was named the league’s comeback participant of the yr. And with Williams again, the Sonics gained 48 video games earlier than dropping to Portland within the first-round of the playoffs.
A number of folks inside the Seattle basketball group took to social media to submit about Williams’ passing. Former teammate Wally Walker stated phrase was being handed alongside amongst former SuperSonics.
“His energy was always so positive and his sense of humor was always there,” Walker stated Wednesday evening. “He got along with everybody. It was always fun with Gus, and a lot of laughs.”
Williams was residing in a care facility within the Baltimore space on the time of his passing. A reason behind demise was not instantly recognized, however Williams suffered a big stroke in February 2020 and wanted assisted care within the years since.
His final recognized public appearances in Seattle got here in 2017 when he attended the WNBA All-Star Recreation at KeyArena, and in 2019 when the Mariners honored the SuperSonics’ legacy on June 1 — 40 years to the day of profitable the NBA title.
Williams was unheralded when he signed as a free agent with the Sonics following two seasons in Golden State to begin his profession. He’d completed second in Rookie of the 12 months voting in 1975-76, however there wasn’t a lot to counsel he’d turn into a scoring star.
The beginning of his Sonics tenure was tepid. However that modified when Lenny Wilkens took over as head coach and Williams turned a everlasting starter. Placing Williams within the beginning lineup alongside Dennis Johnson despatched Slick Watts to the bench and made Fred Brown the sixth man for the Sonics. Williams began 66 of the ultimate 67 video games he performed within the 1977-78 common season, averaged 19.6 factors per recreation and scored in double-figures in 64 of these 67 video games.
The Sonics had been 2-10 when that stretch began for Williams; they completed the common season 47-35. Williams was simply nearly as good within the playoffs because the Sonics reached the NBA Finals earlier than dropping to Washington in Recreation 7.
That was only a precursor to the next season when Williams and his teammates had been left celebrating on the conclusion of the playoffs. Williams was good within the common season, averaging 19.2 per recreation. He was nice within the playoffs, averaging 26.7 factors and scored 30 or extra factors in seven of 17 video games on the way in which to the championship — even when Johnson ended up being the playoffs MVP.
The championship run embedded Williams as a star past Seattle. He graced the quilt of Sports activities Illustrated to honor the championship. His contract holdout was one of many greatest tales within the league, as was his return a yr later.
“He had a lot of sayings that were just funny. One of his was, ‘There were only two kinds of people, the quick and the dead.’ And of course, he was the quick,” Walker recalled. “He was lightning quick and fast, both, and he was a one-man fast break. He got the ball and he weaved through traffic. He was just so fast. No one ever caught him.”
His time in Seattle concluded after the 1984 season when he was traded to Washington because the SuperSonics selected to construct round Jack Sikma. On his means out of city, Williams threw a waterfront social gathering to thank Seattle for the six seasons.
“When you break it down to the simplest form, the guys who won the championship got dispersed,” Williams advised The Occasions in February 1985. “It was a distinct staff. You may anticipate a staff to do properly, yr in and yr out, in case you maintain the identical personnel and perhaps add on to it. However simply don’t take that success away and break up them up like that. I don’t assume that’s the reply.
“I built up great friendships with those guys. Plus, it wasn’t like we weren’t winning any games. From a player’s standpoint, that’s how I feel. From a management standpoint, that’s their decision. And obviously they felt it was best for them, or the team, or the situation, to do that.”
Williams’ well being took a flip in February 2020 when he suffered a big stroke. Insurance coverage didn’t cowl all of his wants in restoration, which helped result in the beginning of the Sonics Legends Fund. The group has raised cash to assist pay for former Sonics coping with well being points, most notably Williams and Watts.
Sandy Gregory, who labored for the Seahawks for greater than 40 years earlier than retiring in 2018 and began the same program with the NFL staff, knew Williams when he was a participant at USC and he or she labored within the sports activities info division for the Trojans. The hassle to assist Williams pay for his care led to the beginning of the group.