Terrence Deshon Williams (born June 28, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. He was the senior co-captain for the 2008–09 University of Louisville Cardinals.

Terrence Williams
Williams with the Boston Celtics in 2013
Personal information
Born (1987-06-28) June 28, 1987 (age 37)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolRainier Beach
(Seattle, Washington)
CollegeLouisville (2005–2009)
NBA draft2009: 1st round, 11th overall pick
Selected by the New Jersey Nets
Playing career2009–2015
PositionShooting guard / small forward
Number8, 1, 55
Career history
20092010New Jersey Nets
2010Springfield Armor
20102012Houston Rockets
2012Sacramento Kings
2012–2013Guangdong Southern Tigers
2013Boston Celtics
2013Türk Telekom
2014Los Angeles D-Fenders
2014Brujos de Guayama
2014Meralco Bolts
2014Soles de Santo Domingo
2014Reales de La Vega
2014Fuerza Regia
2015Vaqueros de Bayamón
2015Guaiqueríes de Margarita
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Early career

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At Rainier Beach High School, Williams was a four-year starter on the basketball team. He helped the team to a state title in 2003. He averaged 21.7 points his senior year. He was also a starting wide receiver and free safety on the football team. He considered attending Indiana and Kansas before deciding to play for the University of Louisville Cardinals.[1]

In the 2007–08 University of Louisville season, Williams achieved the third and fourth triple-doubles in Louisville basketball history (the first two by Samaki Walker and Ellis Myles). He racked up 14 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in the Cardinals' season-opening 104–69 win over Hartford[2] and had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a January 19, 2008 loss to Seton Hall.[3]

Williams appeared on three straight Sports Illustrated covers [4] and is one of few athletes to do so. He was also a finalist in the Lowe's Senior Class Award[5] and was named to the Lowe's Senior Class All-Senior All-America first team.[6]

Williams had extraordinary overall athletic abilities as recognized by his college coach Rick Pitino. "He's a freakish athlete", Pitino said.[7] He is known for his slam dunking abilities and won the dunk contest at the 2005 Kentucky Derby Basketball Classic.[8]

Professional career

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New Jersey Nets (2009–2010)

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Williams with the Nets

Williams was drafted by the New Jersey Nets with the 11th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft and was signed to a four-year contract.[9] He saw playing time early in his rookie season but was relegated to a lesser role as a result of poor behavior; he was late for meetings, missed a team bus and slept in through a shoot-around.[10] His playing time increased after an injury to Devin Harris and a meeting with the team president, Rod Thorn, and interim coach, Kiki VanDeWeghe.[10] On April 9, 2010, Williams recorded a triple-double with a career-high 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a double overtime 127–116 win over the Chicago Bulls. It was the first triple-double by a Nets rookie since 2001.[11]

Williams continued to violate team policy during the beginning of his sophomore season.[12] Fines issued by the Nets failed to deter Williams from his past transgressions of being late to practices and team meetings.[12] On November 26, 2010, he was assigned to the Springfield Armor of the NBA D-League.[13] Nets head coach Avery Johnson denied that the assignment was due to disciplinary reasons but instead because the team did not have enough minutes for Williams.[12] He was recalled on December 7, 2010.[14]

Houston Rockets (2010–2012)

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On December 15, 2010, Williams was traded to the Houston Rockets in a three-team trade involving the Nets and Los Angeles Lakers.[15] He averaged 4.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12 games played for Rockets.[16] On March 16, 2012, Williams was waived by the Rockets.[17]

In a 2014 interview, Daryl Morey called the loss of a first-round pick for Williams one of his worst moves as a general manager.[18]

Sacramento Kings (2012)

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After being waived by the Rockets, Williams signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings on March 21, 2012.[19] He was signed for the remainder of the season on March 31, 2012.[20][21]

Guangdong Southern Tigers (2012–2013)

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In October 2012, Williams joined the Detroit Pistons for their training camp.[22] On October 22, 2012, Williams was waived by the Detroit Pistons.[23]

In November 2012, he joined the Guangdong Southern Tigers of China.[24] He left the Tigers in February 2013.

Boston Celtics (2013)

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On February 20, 2013, Williams signed a 10-day contract with the Boston Celtics.[25] On March 3, 2013, Williams re-signed to a multi-year contract with the Celtics.[26] His appearance on May 3, 2013, in the Celtics’ Game 6 first round playoff loss to the New York Knicks would be his final appearance in the NBA. On June 30, 2013, he was waived by the Celtics.[27]

Türk Telekom (2013)

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In October 2013, Williams signed with Türk Telekom.[28] He parted ways with them on November 14, after playing only two games in Turkish Basketball League.[29]

Los Angeles D-Fenders (2013–2014)

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On December 31, 2013, Williams was acquired by the Los Angeles D-Fenders.[30] He set the D-Fenders franchise single-game scoring record with 50 points on January 31, 2014, against the Idaho Stampede, surpassing 49 earlier that season by Manny Harris.[31]

Brujos de Guayama (2014)

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In April 2014, Williams signed with Brujos de Guayama of Puerto Rico.[32] He was waived on May 1, 2014.[33]

Meralco Bolts (2014)

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On May 18, 2014, Williams signed with Meralco Bolts,[34] but left seven days later after just three games.[35]

Soles de Santo Domingo (2014)

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Williams joined Soles de Santo Domingo of the Dominican Republic in 2014.

Reales de La Vega (2014)

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Williams joined Reales de La Vega of the Dominican Republic in 2014.

Fuerza Regia (2014–2015)

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On December 26, 2014, WIlliams signed with Fuerza Regia of Mexico.[36] In his first game, he scored 19 points in the game that Fuerza Regia won 101–85 against Gigantes Estado de Mexico. Williams also grabbed 2 rebounds and has 6 assists.[37]

Vaqueros de Bayamón (2015)

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On January 17, 2015, Williams signed with Maccabi Ashdod of Israel.[38] Ten days later, he left the club before playing in a single game for them.[39] In March 2015, he signed with Vaqueros de Bayamón of Puerto Rico.[40] He was released by the club after appearing in just two league games.[41]

Guaiqueríes de Margarita (2015)

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In April 2015, Williams signed with Guaiqueríes de Margarita of Venezuela for the rest of the 2015 LPB season.[42]

On October 6, 2015, Williams signed with the upcoming AmeriLeague to play on the following season.[43] However, the league folded after it was discovered the founder was a con artist.[44]

NBA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2009–10 New Jersey 78 9 22.6 .401 .310 .715 4.5 2.9 .6 .1 8.4
2010–11 New Jersey 10 0 20.6 .397 .333 .500 3.6 3.1 .5 .0 6.7
2010–11 Houston 11 0 7.6 .333 .200 .818 1.4 .6 .4 .0 3.5
2011–12 Houston 12 0 15.1 .351 .421 .500 2.4 .8 .3 .1 4.5
2011–12 Sacramento 18 0 20.5 .461 .296 .618 4.1 3.1 .9 .3 8.8
2012–13 Boston 24 0 13.3 .495 .333 .429 1.8 1.6 .5 .1 4.6
Career 153 9 19.1 .412 .317 .659 3.6 2.4 .5 .1 7.1

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2013 Boston 5 0 9.6 .200 .000 .500 2.0 1.2 .0 .2 1.0
Career 5 0 9.6 .200 .000 .500 2.0 1.2 .0 .2 1.0

Personal life

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Williams has estimated that he owns over 300 pairs of sneakers.[7] His nickname is "T-Will".

Criminal charges

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On October 7, 2021, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss, criminally charged Williams and 15 others in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the NBA's health plan, in which nearly $4 million in fraudulent claims appeared to have been made. Strauss referred to Williams as the leader of the conspiracy. The charges alleged that Williams obtained fraudulent medical and dental invoices, sent them to his co-conspirators, including other former NBA players, and claims were submitted by the aforementioned co-conspirators to the plan, which paid "most" claims for medical care never rendered. Nineteen people were charged in the indictment on counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.[45]

On August 3, 2023, Williams was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the scheme.[46]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Player Bio: Terrence Williams :: Men's Basketball". Uoflsports.cstv.com. June 28, 1987. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  2. ^ Graves, Will (January 1, 2007). "NCAA Basketball - Hartford Hawks/Louisville Cardinals Recap Saturday November 17, 2007 - Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  3. ^ "Louisville-Seton Hall Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  4. ^ Bozich, Rick. "TWill Sports Illustrated Cover Streak Ends at Three". Courier-journal.com. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  5. ^ "Lowe's Senior Class Award Announces Finalists For NCAA Division I Men's & Women's Basketball". Seniorclassaward.com. February 4, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  6. ^ "NORTH CAROLINA FORWARD TYLER HANSBROUGH WINS 2008-09 MEN'S BASKETBALL LOWES SENIOR CLASS AWARD". Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  7. ^ a b Willhite, Lindsey (October 25, 2007). "Williams, Louisville won't sneak up on opponents". USA Today.
  8. ^ "DraftExpress NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Terrence Williams, Stats, Comparisons, and Outlook". Draftexpress.com. June 28, 1987. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  9. ^ "Nets sign 1st-round draft pick Williams". USA Today. July 6, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
  10. ^ a b Kerber, Fred (January 24, 2010). "Nets rookie Williams gets the point – just in time". New York Post. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  11. ^ "Nets stall Bulls' playoff clincher". Times Herald-Record. April 10, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Stephenson, Colin (November 27, 2010). "For Nets guard Terrence Williams, the long road back starts now". NJ.com. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  13. ^ Nets assign problem kid Williams to D-League team, nba.com
  14. ^ Stephenson, Colin (December 8, 2010). "Terrence Williams will rejoin team for practice today, Derrick Favors returns home". nj.com.
  15. ^ "Rockets Acquire Terrence Williams from Nets". NBA.com. December 15, 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  16. ^ "Kings sign Terrence Williams". ESPN. March 22, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  17. ^ Feigen, Jonathan (March 16, 2012). "Rockets waive Terrence Williams; Derek Fisher may not play a game as a Rocket". Ultimate Rockets. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  18. ^ Moore, Matt (January 26, 2014). "Daryl Morey 'proud' that he may have made worst pick ever in White". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  19. ^ "Kings Sign Terrence Williams to 10-Day Contract". NBA.com. March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  20. ^ "Kings Sign Terrence Williams For Remainder of Season". NBA.com. March 31, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  21. ^ "Kings sign G/F Terrence Williams for rest of the season".
  22. ^ "Detroit Pistons Add Terrence Williams and Jonny Flynn to Training Camp Roster". Detroit Pistons.
  23. ^ "Pistons Waive Flynn, Terrence Williams". basketball.realgm.com.
  24. ^ "Terrence Williams Joins the CBA's Guangdong Southern Tigers".
  25. ^ "Celtics Sign Terrence Williams". NBA.com. January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  26. ^ "Celtics Sign Williams to Multi-Year Contract". NBA.com. March 3, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  27. ^ "Celtics Waive Terrence Williams". Boston Celtics.
  28. ^ "Terrence Williams moves to Turk Telekom Ankara". Sportando.net. October 24, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  29. ^ "Terrence Williams leaves Turk Telekom Ankara". Sportando.net. November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  30. ^ "D-Fenders Acquire Terrence Williams". NBA.com.
  31. ^ "LOS ANGELES TAKES DOWN IDAHO BEHIND WILLIAMS' FRANCHISE RECORD 50 POINTS". NBA.com. January 31, 2014. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  32. ^ "Terrence Williams signs with Brujos de Guayama". Sportando.com. April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
  33. ^ "Brujos de Guayama sign Mike Sweetney, waive Terrence Williams". Sportando.com. May 1, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  34. ^ "Terrence Williams signs with Meralco Bolts".
  35. ^ "Meralco Bolts sign Mario West to replace Terrence Williams".
  36. ^ "LLEGA TERRENCE WILLIAMS A FUERZA REGIA". Fuerzaregia.com (in Spanish). December 26, 2014. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  37. ^ "Fuerza Regia se lleva el triunfo ("Fuerza Regia takes the win")". telediario. December 27, 2014.
  38. ^ "Maccabi Ashdod signs Terrence Williams".
  39. ^ "Terrence Williams cut by Maccabi Ashdod before making debut in Israel".
  40. ^ Pick, David (March 8, 2015). "Terrence Williams signed with Vaqueros De Bayamon in Puerto Rico, he said via text".
  41. ^ "Vaqueros contratan a Ebi Ere". El Nuevo Dia. March 18, 2015.
  42. ^ "Terrence Williams (ex Bayamon) signs at Guaiqueries". Eurobasket.com. April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  43. ^ "Terrence Williams and Antoine Wright Sign with AmeriLeague". AmeriLeague.com. October 6, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  44. ^ "AmeriLeague Founder Revealed As Con Artist". RealGM.com. October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  45. ^ "18 NBA Veterans Arrested in Alleged $4 Million Health Insurance Fraud Scheme". NBC News. October 7, 2021.
  46. ^ "Ex-NBA player Terrence Williams sentenced to 10 years in prison". ESPN. August 3, 2023.
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