Former Philadelphia 76ers guard, Lou Williams, has put an end to his 17-year NBA career. The 36-year-old made his retirement official on Instagram last Sunday. In a heartfelt video, Williams was praised for his on and off-court accomplishments over the years, as his daughter voiced over the highlight reel.
Williams, born and raised in Memphis, was a standout player in Atlanta during high school. He was recognized as Georgia’s “Mr. Basketball” for two consecutive seasons and was regarded as a five-star recruit and one of the nation’s top guards. Although he considered joining the NCAA, Williams went straight to the NBA in 2005, before the one-and-done era.
Williams wasn’t a top pick when he entered the NBA Draft in 2005. He dropped to 45th overall in the second round and joined the Philadelphia 76ers. During his first year, Williams averaged 4.8 minutes in 30 games and scored just two points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. His sophomore effort was no better, averaging four points in 11 minutes. It wasn’t until his third year that Williams became a regular off the bench.
For five consecutive seasons, Williams averaged 13 points, three assists, two rebounds, and one steal while hitting on 42 percent of his shots with the 76ers. During the 2011-2012 season, he finished as the runner-up for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Although Williams couldn’t win the Sixth Man of the Year award during his Sixers tenure, he won the accolade several times after he left the 76ers. In 2012, he joined the Atlanta Hawks, where he played for two seasons before getting traded to the Toronto Raptors for a one-year run. Williams then signed a multi-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers before moving to the Houston Rockets. He returned to Los Angeles, joining the Clippers, where he won two of his three Sixth Man of the Year awards.
After four seasons with the Clippers, Williams returned to Atlanta to play with the Hawks over the last two years of his career. He appeared in 56 games during the 2021-2022 run, which would be his last time suiting up and playing in the league as he didn’t sign with anyone for the 2022-2023 season.
Williams leaves the NBA with over 15,000 points scored and over 3,000 assists. Although he never found a place on a championship-winning team, Williams’ personal accolades help him earn the title of one of the best reserves in the game, tying Jamal Crawford for the most Sixth Man of the Year wins in NBA history.
Despite retiring from the NBA, Williams has left a lasting impact on the league. The man can ball, and he’s done it with style and grace. From his humble beginnings to his impressive career, Williams has proven that he is one of the best to ever do it. We wish him all the best in his retirement!
References
- http://si.com/nba/76ers
- https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtobGKbsWuO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==
- http://si.com/nba/hawks
- http://si.com/nba/raptors
- http://si.com/nba/lakers
- http://si.com/nba/rockets
- http://si.com/nba/clippers
