Latavious Williams
Encyclopedia
Latavious Williams is an American
professional basketball
player who plays for the FIATC Joventut
in Spain. After graduating from high school, he played with the Tulsa 66ers
in the NBA Development League
(NBA D-League), a minor league
basketball organization owned and run by the National Basketball Association
(NBA). After a year there, he was drafted by the Miami Heat
with the 48th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft
. After the draft, his draft rights were immediately traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder
, the NBA affiliate of the 66ers. However, the Thunder did not sign him to a contract and Williams returned to the D-League with the 66ers.
Williams is the first player ever to skip college basketball
and play a year in the D-League before getting drafted in the NBA. He is also the first player ever to enter into the D-League directly from high school.
.
(NCAA) requires for eligibility for an athletic scholarship. He then attended Christian Life Center Academy, a private school in Humble, Texas
, for a year to complete the 14 other core courses he needed. He continued to play on prep level and averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 assists and 4 steals for the Christian Life Center Academy.
. He was ranked as one of the top 20 recruits in the 2009 class. On May 2009, he announced his verbal commitment to attend the University of Memphis
. He chose Memphis ahead of Georgetown, Kansas State
and Florida International
. He became Josh Pastner
's first recruit as the Memphis Tigers head coach. However, he struggled to qualify academically and later backed out from his commitment to play for Memphis and instead skipping college basketball altogether to play professionally. However, a player who attended high school in the United States is not eligible to enter the NBA Draft
until a year after his high school graduation. He was expected to sign for an overseas team before entering the NBA when he became eligible, a similar path taken by Brandon Jennings
who played in the Italian league for a year before he was drafted 10th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft
.
which were reportedly worth US$
100,000. However, his family decided against the idea of playing overseas. He opted to play in the D-League, the NBA's official minor league organization. He chose to earn US$19,000 in the D-League because he believed that he would receive more exposure and experience. He entered the D-League Draft and was drafted 16th overall by the Tulsa 66ers
. He became the first player ever selected in the D-League Draft directly from high school. Because the NBA requires a player to be one year out of high school to play in the league, he became the only D-League player who could not be called up by any of the NBA teams in the 2009–10 season.
He played as the 66ers backup forward for most of the season, starting only 7 out of 46 games in the regular season. He averaged 7.7 points on 52.8 percent shooting and 7.7 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 16 times and recorded double-figure rebounds in 13 games during the regular season. He also recorded 9 double-doubles
in the regular season. He improved his production in the postseason, averaging 11.3 points on 61.2 percent shooting and 8.0 rebounds in seven postseason games. He helped the 66ers advanced to the Finals. They failed to win the championship but Williams managed to improved his production again by averaging 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two Finals games against Rio Grande Valley Vipers
.
for the 2010 NBA Draft
as he was already one year removed from his high school graduation. He was drafted by the Miami Heat
in the second round with the 48th pick. He became the first player ever to skip college basketball and play a year in the D-League before getting drafted in the NBA. He also became the second player to be drafted from a D-League team to the NBA, after Mike Taylor
in 2008
. Shortly after being drafted by the Heat, his draft rights were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder
, the NBA team affiliated with the Tulsa 66ers
, in exchange for a future second-round pick.
He played for the Thunder in the 2010 Orlando Summer League
. He played in all five games, averaging 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game. His best game came during the win against the Philadelphia 76ers
when he scored 10 points, with 5 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots in 15 minutes off the bench. However, he didn't receive a contract offer or an invitation to the Thunder's training camp for the 2010–11 season
.
On October 31, 2010, the Tulsa 66ers announced that Williams would be returning to the team for the 2010–11 season
. His rights in the NBA are still held by the Thunder. Hence, the Thunder is the only team that is allowed to call up Williams to the NBA during the 2010–11 season.
.
|align="left"| 2009–10
|align="left"| Tulsa 66ers
| 47 || 9 || 20.6 || .528 || .083 || .610 || 7.7 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 7.8
|-
|align="left"| 2010–11
|align="left"| Tulsa 66ers
| 41 || 26 || 26.9 || .639 || .000 || .726 || 8.6 || 0.5 || 0.6 || 1.0 || 13.2
|-class="sortbottom"
|align="center" colspan="2"| Career
| 88 || 35 || 23.5 || .589 || .077 || .674 || 8.1 || 0.6 || 0.6 || 0.8 || 10.3
|align="left"| 2010
|align="left"| Tulsa 66ers
| 7 || 1 || 19.7 || .612 || .000 || .731 || 8.0 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 0.7 || 11.3
|-class="sortbottom"
|align="center" colspan="2"| Career
| 7 || 1 || 19.7 || .612 || .000 || .731 || 8.0 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 0.7 || 11.3
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 who plays for the FIATC Joventut
Joventut Badalona
Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, playing in the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto . Known to their fans as La Penya , it is one of only three teams that have never been relegated from the top division of the Spanish League...
in Spain. After graduating from high school, he played with the Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa 66ers
The Tulsa 66ers are an NBA Development League team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the minor league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their logo design is a basketball behind mountains with a road leading up to them, all on a U.S...
in the NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
(NBA D-League), a minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
basketball organization owned and run by the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). After a year there, he was drafted by the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
with the 48th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
. After the draft, his draft rights were immediately traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
, the NBA affiliate of the 66ers. However, the Thunder did not sign him to a contract and Williams returned to the D-League with the 66ers.
Williams is the first player ever to skip college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
and play a year in the D-League before getting drafted in the NBA. He is also the first player ever to enter into the D-League directly from high school.
Early life
Latavious Williams was born to Fredrick Neely and Cassandra Neely. He was born and grew up in Starkville, MississippiStarkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
.
High school
Williams played four years at Starkville High School. In his last year at Starkville, he averaged 19.9 points, 14.5 rebounds and 5.0 blocks and led Starkville to the Class 5A state semifinals. After four years in Starkville, he had completed only 2 of the 16 core courses that the National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) requires for eligibility for an athletic scholarship. He then attended Christian Life Center Academy, a private school in Humble, Texas
Humble, Texas
Humble is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area.As of the 2000 census, the city population was 14,579. The city shares a zip code with the small Houston neighborhood of Bordersville, although people who live in Bordersville still have Humble...
, for a year to complete the 14 other core courses he needed. He continued to play on prep level and averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 assists and 4 steals for the Christian Life Center Academy.
College plans
After finishing his high school education, Williams intended to play college basketballCollege basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
. He was ranked as one of the top 20 recruits in the 2009 class. On May 2009, he announced his verbal commitment to attend the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
. He chose Memphis ahead of Georgetown, Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball
The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represents Kansas State University in college basketball competition. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and is a member of the Big 12 Conference. The current head coach is Frank Martin....
and Florida International
FIU Golden Panthers
The FIU Panthers are the athletic teams of Florida International University , a public university located in Miami, Florida. The Panthers compete in NCAA Division I athletics, and are currently members of the Sun Belt Conference...
. He became Josh Pastner
Josh Pastner
-References:...
's first recruit as the Memphis Tigers head coach. However, he struggled to qualify academically and later backed out from his commitment to play for Memphis and instead skipping college basketball altogether to play professionally. However, a player who attended high school in the United States is not eligible to enter the NBA Draft
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
until a year after his high school graduation. He was expected to sign for an overseas team before entering the NBA when he became eligible, a similar path taken by Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association who plays at point guard....
who played in the Italian league for a year before he was drafted 10th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
.
2009–10 season
Williams receive several offers from overseas teams, including an offer from the Chinese leagueChinese Basketball Association
The Chinese Basketball Association , often abbreviated to the CBA, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in China.The league is commonly known as the CBA, and this acronym is often used even in Chinese...
which were reportedly worth US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100,000. However, his family decided against the idea of playing overseas. He opted to play in the D-League, the NBA's official minor league organization. He chose to earn US$19,000 in the D-League because he believed that he would receive more exposure and experience. He entered the D-League Draft and was drafted 16th overall by the Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa 66ers
The Tulsa 66ers are an NBA Development League team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the minor league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their logo design is a basketball behind mountains with a road leading up to them, all on a U.S...
. He became the first player ever selected in the D-League Draft directly from high school. Because the NBA requires a player to be one year out of high school to play in the league, he became the only D-League player who could not be called up by any of the NBA teams in the 2009–10 season.
He played as the 66ers backup forward for most of the season, starting only 7 out of 46 games in the regular season. He averaged 7.7 points on 52.8 percent shooting and 7.7 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 16 times and recorded double-figure rebounds in 13 games during the regular season. He also recorded 9 double-doubles
Double (basketball)
In basketball, a double is the accumulation of a double-digit number total in one of five statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots—in a game. Multiple players usually score double-digit points in any given basketball game; the double nomenclature is usually...
in the regular season. He improved his production in the postseason, averaging 11.3 points on 61.2 percent shooting and 8.0 rebounds in seven postseason games. He helped the 66ers advanced to the Finals. They failed to win the championship but Williams managed to improved his production again by averaging 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two Finals games against Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Rio Grande Valley Vipers
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are a 2007-08 expansion team in the NBA Development League. They play their home games at the State Farm Arena, in Hidalgo, Texas....
.
2010–11 season
Williams was automatically eligibleEligibility for the NBA Draft
The NBA Draft, the annual event in which the 30 franchises in the National Basketball Association select new players for their teams, has distinctive eligibility rules, which have changed several times during the history of the league.-Early history:...
for the 2010 NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
as he was already one year removed from his high school graduation. He was drafted by the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
in the second round with the 48th pick. He became the first player ever to skip college basketball and play a year in the D-League before getting drafted in the NBA. He also became the second player to be drafted from a D-League team to the NBA, after Mike Taylor
Mike Taylor (basketball)
Michael Rene "Mike" Taylor is an American professional basketball player.-College basketball:Collegiately, Taylor played three seasons for Chipola College and Iowa State University , leading the latter team in scoring with 16.0 points per game...
in 2008
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
. Shortly after being drafted by the Heat, his draft rights were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
, the NBA team affiliated with the Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa 66ers
The Tulsa 66ers are an NBA Development League team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the minor league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their logo design is a basketball behind mountains with a road leading up to them, all on a U.S...
, in exchange for a future second-round pick.
He played for the Thunder in the 2010 Orlando Summer League
2010 NBA Summer League
The 2010 National Basketball Association Summer League was a pro basketball league ran by the NBA in the United States just following the 2010 NBA Draft. Teams consisted of players who have been in the league for three years or fewer as well as newly drafted talent. It gives rookies a chance to...
. He played in all five games, averaging 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game. His best game came during the win against the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
when he scored 10 points, with 5 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots in 15 minutes off the bench. However, he didn't receive a contract offer or an invitation to the Thunder's training camp for the 2010–11 season
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
.
On October 31, 2010, the Tulsa 66ers announced that Williams would be returning to the team for the 2010–11 season
2010–11 NBA Development League season
The 2010–11 NBA Development League season is the tenth season of the NBA Development League . The NBA D-League is the official minor league basketball organization owned and run by the National Basketball Association . The league was formed in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League...
. His rights in the NBA are still held by the Thunder. Hence, the Thunder is the only team that is allowed to call up Williams to the NBA during the 2010–11 season.
2011–12 season
On August 23, 2011 he signed a one-year contract with Spanish team FIATC JoventutJoventut Badalona
Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, playing in the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto . Known to their fans as La Penya , it is one of only three teams that have never been relegated from the top division of the Spanish League...
.
Regular season
|-|align="left"| 2009–10
|align="left"| Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa 66ers
The Tulsa 66ers are an NBA Development League team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the minor league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their logo design is a basketball behind mountains with a road leading up to them, all on a U.S...
| 47 || 9 || 20.6 || .528 || .083 || .610 || 7.7 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 7.8
|-
|align="left"| 2010–11
2010–11 NBA Development League season
The 2010–11 NBA Development League season is the tenth season of the NBA Development League . The NBA D-League is the official minor league basketball organization owned and run by the National Basketball Association . The league was formed in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League...
|align="left"| Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa 66ers
The Tulsa 66ers are an NBA Development League team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the minor league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their logo design is a basketball behind mountains with a road leading up to them, all on a U.S...
| 41 || 26 || 26.9 || .639 || .000 || .726 || 8.6 || 0.5 || 0.6 || 1.0 || 13.2
|-class="sortbottom"
|align="center" colspan="2"| Career
| 88 || 35 || 23.5 || .589 || .077 || .674 || 8.1 || 0.6 || 0.6 || 0.8 || 10.3
Playoffs
|-|align="left"| 2010
|align="left"| Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa 66ers
The Tulsa 66ers are an NBA Development League team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the minor league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their logo design is a basketball behind mountains with a road leading up to them, all on a U.S...
| 7 || 1 || 19.7 || .612 || .000 || .731 || 8.0 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 0.7 || 11.3
|-class="sortbottom"
|align="center" colspan="2"| Career
| 7 || 1 || 19.7 || .612 || .000 || .731 || 8.0 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 0.7 || 11.3
External links
- Latavious Williams at NBA.com
- Latavious Williams at NBA.com/DLeague
- Latavious Williams Draft 2010 Prospects at NBA.com
- Latavious Williams D-League Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com