Gus Williams

Gus Williams (October 10, 1953 – January 15, 2025) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Wizard", he was a two-time NBA All-Star playing for the Seattle SuperSonics, winning an NBA championship in 1979.

Williams played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 1975 NBA draft. He later played for the Warriors, SuperSonics, Washington Bullets and Atlanta Hawks.

Early life Williams was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He played high school basketball at Mount Vernon High, where he was selected player of the year in 1971 by the New York State Sportswriters Association. He played college basketball at the University of Southern California,

Professional career Williams was selected in the second round of the 1975 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors and in the first round of the 1975 American Basketball Association draft by the Spirits of St. Louis. Williams signed with the Warriors for the 1975–76 season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in his first season. Williams played two seasons with the Warriors before he left as a free agent before the 1977–78 season, when he signed with the Seattle SuperSonics. There Williams was paired with renowned defender Dennis Johnson to form a dynamic backcourt duo, and helped the team to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances.

While with Seattle, Williams was eventually twice selected to the NBA All-Star Game, and was an All-NBA First Team (1982) and All-NBA Second Team (1980) selection. Williams, whose style of play earned him the nickname "the Wizard", led the Sonics to the 1979 league title while averaging a team-high 28.6 points per game in the 1979 NBA Finals.

While in the prime of his career, Williams stunned the basketball world when he decided to sit out the 1980–81 season due to a contract dispute. He returned in 1981–82 and was named the NBA Comeback Player of the Year after finishing seventh in the league in scoring with a career-high 23.4 points per game. He played two more seasons with the Sonics after that.

Illness and death Williams suffered a stroke in February 2020 and later moved to an assisted care facility in the Baltimore area. He died from complications on January 15, 2025, at the age of 71.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs