Buck Williams - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Charles Linwood Williams (born March 8, 1960 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Rocky Mount is an All-America City Award-winning city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the coastal plains of the state of North Carolina. Although it was not formally incorporated until February 28, 1867, the North Carolina community that became the city of Rocky Mount dates from the beginning of...

), better known as "Buck", is a retired America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

n professional basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

player and current assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...

. He was well known for his rebounding

Rebound (basketball)

A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...

ability and trademark goggles

Goggles

Goggles or safety glasses are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and in woodworking. They are often used in snow sports as well,...

.

Williams, 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), ranks 13th all-time in NBA career rebounds. His 17-year NBA career was highlighted by three All-Star Game

National Basketball Association All-Star Game

The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. From that year on, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Conference with the best players in the Western Conference....

appearances, a Rookie of the Year award

NBA Rookie of the Year Award

The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...

, an All-Rookie team selection, an All-NBA second team selection and four selections to the first and second NBA All-Defensive teams. As of 2010, he is still the Nets' all-time leader in points (10,440), total rebounds (7,576), rebounds per game (11.9), and free throws made (2,476).

College

Williams attended Rocky Mount High School

Rocky Mount High School

Rocky Mount High School is a public high school in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Established in September 1953, the school is in Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools.It is currently a member of the Big East 3-A Athletic Conference.-History:...

(then called Rocky Mount Senior High) in Rocky Mount

Rocky Mount, North Carolina

before going off to play collegiately at the University of Maryland

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

. Williams had immediate success at Maryland, capturing the ACC

Atlantic Coast Conference

The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...

Rookie of the Year Award in 1979. He led the ACC in rebounding twice (1979 and 1981), while averaging 15.5 points per game in his sophomore and junior years. He earned All-ACC honors in 1980 and 1981. National recognition of his performances came when he was selected to the 1980 USA Olympic

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

basketball team, alongside such players as later two-time NBA champions Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas

Isiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...

and Mark Aguirre

Mark Aguirre

Mark Anthony Aguirre is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association. Aguirre played from 1981–1994 and won two championships with the Detroit Pistons after being sent to Detroit from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Adrian Dantley...

; he, however, never got to represent the national colors in Moscow

1980 Summer Olympics

The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...

due to the United States' boycott

American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics

The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott of the Moscow Olympics was a part of a package of actions initiated by the United States to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan...

. In 2002, Williams was one of eight former Maryland players to be named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team

ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team

In 2002 the Atlantic Coast Conference selected 50th anniversary teams for most of its sports. The 50-member men's basketball team was voted on by a 120-member blue-ribbon committee that was selected by the league's 50th Anniversary Committee....

. In 2001, he became a member of the University of Maryland’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

New Jersey years: 1981-1989

After three years at Maryland, Williams decided to leave for the NBA. The New Jersey Nets

New Jersey Nets

The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

selected him third overall in the 1981 NBA Draft

1981 NBA Draft

The 1981 NBA Draft was the 35th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1981, before the 1981–82 season. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...

, behind Olympic teammates Aguirre and Thomas. In his first season with the Nets, he averaged 15.5 points and led the team with 12.3 rebounds per game, helping New Jersey win 20 more games (a 44-38 win-loss record) than the previous year and earning 1982 Rookie of the Year honors. Williams established himself as a premier player at the power forward

Power forward (basketball)

Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...

position over the next eight seasons with the Nets; in six of those he was ranked among the best three rebounders in the league, never averaging less than twelve rebounds per game. This period (1984) featured the Nets' best playoff

NBA Playoffs

The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...

effort since the ABA-NBA merger

ABA-NBA merger

The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...

in 1976 - their first second-round appearance, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....

; not until 2002 did the Nets get past the first round of the playoffs

NBA Playoffs

again.

Portland years: 1989-1996

On June 24, 1989, the Nets traded Williams to the Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers

in exchange for Sam Bowie

Sam Bowie

Samuel Paul "Sam" Bowie is a retired American basketball player. A national sensation in high school and outstanding collegian, Bowie's professional promise was undermined by repeated injury...

and a draft pick. In Portland, Williams would continue his solid play and take a complementary frontcourt role to established guard duo of Clyde Drexler

Clyde Drexler

Clyde Austin "Clyde The Glide" Drexler is a former National Basketball Association shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and...

and Terry Porter

Terry Porter

Terry Porter is an American professional basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association . A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA Draft...

. The Blazers' post-season campaigns ended in the first round four consecutive years prior to 1990; contrastingly, Wiliams' first three seasons with the Blazers were marked by three Western Conference Finals appearances and two NBA Finals. In 1990 the Blazers succumbed to the powerhouse Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...

in five games, while in 1992 they fell to the Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

in six. Williams was regularly in the starting lineup for the first six of his seven seasons with the Blazers. He remains the franchise leader in field goal percentage (55.0%).

Later playing career

In the twilight of his career, after the 1995-96 season, Williams moved back to the Atlantic Division

Eastern Conference (NBA)

The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...

, signing with the New York Knicks

New York Knicks

The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

, where he played in a much more limited capacity, behind the frontcourt duo of Patrick Ewing

Patrick Ewing

Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...

and Charles Oakley

Charles Oakley

Charles Oakley is a retired American professional basketball player and is currently an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association...

. He spent two years with the Knicks, but was forced to miss 41 games during 1997-98 season due to knee surgery (the first time in his career he missed more than 12 games in a season). Williams announced his retirement on January 27, 1999, holding career averages of 12.8 points and ten rebounds per game and a field goal average of 54.9 percent. During the course of his 17 year NBA career, Williams racked up more than 16,000 points and 13,000 rebounds — one of only seven NBA players to ever reach both marks.

NBA career statistics

	Led the league

Regular season

New Jersey Nets

The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

| 82 || 82 || 34.5 || .582 || .000 || .624 || 12.3 || 1.3 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 15.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 82 || 82 || 36.1 || .588 || .000 || .620 || 12.5 || 1.5 || 1.1 || 1.3 || 17.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 81 || 81 || 37.1 || .535 || .000 || .570 || 12.3 || 1.6 || 1.0 || 1.5 || 15.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 || 82 || 38.8 || .530 || .250 || .625 || 12.3 || 2.0 || .8 || 1.3 || 18.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 82 || 82 || 37.4 || .523 || .000 || .676 || 12.0 || 1.6 || .9 || 1.2 || 15.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 || 82 || 36.3 || .557 || .000 || .731 || 12.5 || 1.6 || 1.0 || 1.1 || 18.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 70 || 70 || 37.7 || .560 || 1.000 || .668 || 11.9 || 1.6 || 1.0 || .6 || 18.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 74 || 72 || 33.1 || .531 || .000 || .666 || 9.4 || 1.1 || .8 || .5 || 13.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Portland

Portland Trail Blazers

| bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 || 82 || 34.2 || .548 || .000 || .706 || 9.8 || 1.4 || .8 || .5 || 13.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 80 || 80 || 32.3 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|.602 || – || .705 || 9.4 || 1.2 || .6 || .6 || 11.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 80 || 80 || 31.5 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|.604 || .000 || .754 || 8.8 || 1.4 || .8 || .5 || 11.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 82 || 82 || 30.5 || .511 || .000 || .645 || 8.4 || .9 || 1.0 || .7 || 8.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 81 || 81 || 32.5 || .555 || .000 || .679 || 10.4 || 1.0 || .7 || .6 || 9.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| bgcolor="CFECEC"| 82 || 82 || 29.5 || .512 || .500 || .673 || 8.2 || 1.0 || .8 || .8 || 9.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 70 || 10 || 23.9 || .500 || .667 || .668 || 5.8 || .6 || .6 || .7 || 7.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| New York

New York Knicks

| 74 || 4 || 20.2 || .537 || .000 || .642 || 5.4 || .7 || .5 || .5 || 6.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| New York
| 41 || 6 || 18.0 || .503 || – || 732 || 4.5 || .5 || .4 || .4 || 4.9
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Career
| 1307 || 1140 || 32.5 || .549 || .167 || .664 || 10.0 || 1.3 || .8 || .8 || 12.8
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| All-Star
| 3 || 0 || 20.3 || .526|| – || .455 || 8.0 || 2.0 || .3 || .7 || 8.3

Playoffs

|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1982

1982 NBA Playoffs

The 1982 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1981-1982 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers, four games to two in the NBA Finals...

| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey

New Jersey Nets

The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

| 2 || – || 39.5 || .538 || – || .467 || 10.5 || 1.5 || .5 || 1.0 || 17.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1983

1983 NBA Playoffs

The 1983 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1982-1983 season. This was the final postseason using the 12-team format, before the NBA expanded the postseason to 16 teams the next season...

| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 2 || – || 42.5 || .500 || – || .800 || 11.5 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 19.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1984

1984 NBA Playoffs

The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983-84 season. This was the first postseason allowing sixteen teams to qualify, a format that is still in use as of 2011...

| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 11 || – || 43.0 || .485 || – || .556 || 14.1 || 1.5 || 1.5 || 1.5 || 15.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1985

1985 NBA Playoffs

The 1985 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984-85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, four games to two, in the NBA Finals...

| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 3 || – || 41.0 || .650 || – || .733 || 10.7 || .3 || 1.0 || 1.7 || 24.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1986

1986 NBA Playoffs

The 1986 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985-86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, four games to two, in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won...

| style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey
| 3 || – || 42.0 || .724 || – || .769 || 10.3 || .7 || 2.0 || .3 || 20.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1990

1990 NBA Playoffs

The 1990 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1989-1990 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons successfully defending their championship by beating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers...

| style="text-align:left;"| Portland

Portland Trail Blazers

| 21 || – || 37.0 || .508 || – || .676 || 9.2 || 1.9 || .6 || .3 || 13.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1991

1991 NBA Playoffs

The 1991 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship via a four-games-to-one victory over the Western Conference champion Los...

| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 16 || 16 || 37.0 || .500 || – || .603 || 8.9 || .9 || .6 || .3 || 10.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1992

1992 NBA Playoffs

NBA Champions: Chicago BullsThe 1992 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-1992 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Western...

| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 21 || 21 || 36.1 || .508 || – || .758 || 8.5 || 1.0 || 1.3 || .8 || 9.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1993

1993 NBA Playoffs

The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-1993 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns four...

| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 4 || 4 || 36.1 || .478 || – || .684 || 7.3 || .3 || .3 || .8 || 8.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1994

1994 NBA Playoffs

The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...

| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 4 || 4 || 36.1 || .679 || – || .867 || 8.8 || .5 || 1.0 || .5 || 12.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1995

1995 NBA Playoffs

The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...

| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 3 || 3 || 36.1 || .600 || – || .636 || 6.3 || .3 || 1.3 || .7 || 8.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1996

1996 NBA Playoffs

The 1996 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995-1996 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship in three years by defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle...

| style="text-align:left;"| Portland
| 5 || 1 || 26.6 || .391 || .500 || .714 || 5.0 || .2 || .2 || .8 || 4.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1997

1997 NBA Playoffs

The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...

| style="text-align:left;"| New York

New York Knicks

| 10 || 1 || 19.3 || .486 || – || .529 || 4.0 || .6 || .3 || .4 || 4.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1998

1998 NBA Playoffs

The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...

| style="text-align:left;"| New York
| 3 || 0 || 15.0 || .444 || – || .750 || 5.3 || .3 || .0 || .3 || 4.7
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Career
| 108 || – || 34.4 || .520 || .500 || .672 || 8.7 || 1.0 || .8 || .6 || 11.2

After basketball

Williams served as the president of the NBA Players Association from 1994 to 1997. The Nets retired his #52 jersey in April 1999. In 2006 he was named as an inductee into the Rocky Mount Twin County Hall of Fame.

Currently, Buck Williams has a construction company and is involved in several charities including Global Giving where he competes with other athletes around the country to raise money for local causes.

Coaching career

In July 2010, Williams was hired by Nate McMillan

Nate McMillan

Nathaniel "Nate" McMillan is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers...

as an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers

. He is expected to assist in the development of Portland's frontcourt

Frontcourt

Frontcourt is a term used in basketball referring to the small forward, power forward, and center positions as a cohesive unit....

players, such as Greg Oden

Greg Oden

Gregory Wayne Oden, Jr. is an American basketball player at the center position. Oden is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA....

Awards and accomplishments

ACC Rookie of the Year: 1979

ACC All-ACC (2nd team): 1980, 1981

USA Olympic Team: 1980

NBA All-Star: 1982, 1983, 1986

NBA All-NBA (2nd team): 1983

NBA Rookie of the Year: 1982

NBA All-Rookie (1st team): 1982

NBA All-Defense (1st team): 1990, 1991

NBA All-Defense (2nd team): 1988, 1992

NBA Field Goal Percentage leader: 1991 (60.2%), 1992 (60.4%)

NBA Minutes Played leader: 1985 (3182)

NBA Offensive Rebounds (total) leader: 1984 (355)

NBA Games Played leader: 1985 (82), 1987 (82), 1990 (82), 1995 (82)

11th all-time in games played: 1,307

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

College

New Jersey years: 1981-1989

Portland years: 1989-1996

Later playing career

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

After basketball

Coaching career

Awards and accomplishments

See also

External links