John Sam Williams

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For other persons named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation).

John Sam Williams (referred to as just John Williams; born October 26, 1966 in Los Angeles, California) is a former basketball player. Williams played collegiately for LSU, and was drafted into the National Basketball Association by the Washington Bullets in 1986 with the 12th overall pick (see 1986 NBA Draft).

Listed by basketballreference.com as 6'8" and 235 pounds, Williams' playing weight had certainly not been less than 250 since his school days at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. The Washington Bullets listed his weight at 260 pounds, while the Los Angeles Clippers listed him at 295, and the Indiana Pacers listed him at an even 300. What is certain is that anyone who saw him play towards the end of his career (especially when he was a member of the Indiana Pacers) knows that he tipped the scales at well over 330.

His girth in fact earned him the whimsical nickname 'Hotplate' Williams, in part to help distinguish him from John "Hot Rod" Williams of the Cleveland Cavaliers who likewise played college basketball in Louisiana (at Tulane University) and who also entered the NBA in 1986.

Despite his size, Williams was a highly skilled basketball player. He was in particular an exceptionally good passer, and averaged over 4 assists per game in 3 separate seasons, an excellent average for a player his size. He was frequently used as a point forward, handling the ball and conducting the offense.

As a rookie, Williams averaged just under ten points and five rebounds per game for the Bullets. He improved significantly his second season, and started 37 of 82 games. The 1988-89 NBA season, his third, was clearly his best, as he achieved career-high season totals in almost every statistical category, despite coming off the bench in all but one game.

Williams' productivity declined in the five injury-plagued seasons that followed. He missed more than half of four of those five seasons due to various injuries, which, though not necessarily caused by his weight, were certainly aggravated by it. His eight-year career included five seasons with the Bullets, two with the Los Angeles Clippers, and one (his final season) with the Indiana Pacers. He retired in 1995 at the relatively young age of 28.