“After The Sweat Dries” - Meet the Players: Ray Williams
Williams was selected by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 1977 NBA draft (10th pick overall).
After a quiet first season, he improved his effectiveness in the court, averaging 20.9 ppg, 5 rpg, and 6.2 apg during his third season (1979–80) and becoming the team captain during his fourth season. During his time with the Knicks, he reached the NBA Playoffs twice.
After four seasons with the Knicks, Williams was traded the New Jersey Nets on October 25, 1981, in exchange for Maurice Lucas. With the Nets, Williams averaged 20.4 ppg, 4 rpg, and 6 apg (1981–82 season). On April 17, 1982, Williams scored 52 points in a gameagainst the Detroit Pistons, for the highest-scoring game of his career, and the highest in Nets history until he was surpassed by Deron Williams' 57-point game on March 4, 2012. Williams eventually helped the Nets reach the 1982 NBA Playoffs where he averaged 17 ppg, 6 rpg, and 7 apg. However, they ended up being eliminated by the Washington Bullets in the first round.
On June 29, 1982, the Nets traded Williams to the Kansas City Kings for Phil Ford. After one season, they traded him back to the New York Knicks for Billy Knight and an amount of cash. He reached the playoffs once again with the Knicks, averaging 11.2 ppg and 8 apg.
In the middle of the 1984–85 season, Williams signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics, in exchange for two future draft picks. During this year, he had the chance to play with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. With Boston, he reached the playoffs one last time. This time, the Celtics reached the Finals, but were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Before the 1985–86 season, Williams signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, with Boston receiving a future draft pick as compensation. The Clippers, however, waived him before the season began.
Williams eventually signed with the Atlanta Hawks. After 19 games, he was waived by the Hawks, but signed with the San Antonio Spurs later. After 23 games, he was also waived by the Spurs and claimed by the Nets. Williams played the remainder of the season with them and remained with the team during the next season, after which he retired. Williams ended with a career average of 15.5 ppg, 5.8 apg, and 3.6 rpg.
Ray Williams passed of cancer at age 58 in March of 2013. May he rest in peace as we look back on all of his incredible accomplishments!
***For more info about Williams, check out “After The Sweat Dries” now available to pre-order on Vimeo as well as for free on Amazon Prime***
