NBA champion Gus Williams, who played for 11 years and led the Seattle SuperSonics to their only championship in 1979, died on Wednesday at age 71.
The Washington Wizards, who Williams played for in the final year of his career, shared the news on social media.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Washington Bullets alumni, Gus Williams. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
Williams was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1975, and was runner-up for Rookie of the Year that season. He played two seasons with the Warriors before joining the Sonics as a free agent prior to the start of the 1977-78 season. Williams immediately became an impact player for Seattle, averaging 18.6 points over his first two seasons with the team. In that second season with Seattle, Williams led the team to its first — and only — championship in a 4-1 series win over the Washington Bullets.
Williams was unstoppable throughout the NBA Finals, leading the Sonics in scoring at 29 points a game while shooting 50% from the field. He played four more seasons for the Sonics, but a contract dispute forced him to miss the entirety of the 1980-81 season. However, when he returned the following year, he put up career numbers and finished fifth in MVP voting.
Williams finished his career by playing two seasons with the Bullets and one year with the Atlanta Hawks. But his time with the Sonics — capped by two All-Star nods in 1982 and 1983 — is what he’s most remembered by. The Sonics retired Williams’ No. 1 jersey, and similarly, USC, where he played for three years in college, retired his No. 10 jersey to the rafters in 2016. During Williams’ collegiate years, he was an All-American in his junior year and earned All-Pac 8 honors in the same season after averaging 21.2 points and leading the Pac-8 in assists per game with 5.4.
Williams’ former teammate, Wally Walker, spoke fondly of the guy affectionately known as “The Wizard.”
“His energy was always so positive and his sense of humor was always there,” Walker said via the Seattle Times. “He got along with everybody. It was always fun with Gus, and a lot of laughs.”
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