.jpg) Williams with theAtlanta Hawks in 2021 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1986-10-27)October 27, 1986 (age 39) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | South Gwinnett (Snellville, Georgia) |
| NBA draft | 2005: 2nd round, 45th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Playing career | 2005–2022 |
| Position | Point guard /shooting guard |
| Number | 23, 3, 12, 6 |
| Career history | |
| 2005–2012 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2006 | →Fort Worth Flyers |
| 2012–2014 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2014–2015 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2015–2017 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2017 | Houston Rockets |
| 2017–2021 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2021–2022 | Atlanta Hawks |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 15,593 (13.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,484 (2.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 3,789 (3.4 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Louis Tyrone Williams (born October 27, 1986) is an American former professionalbasketball player. He was drafteddirectly out of high school by thePhiladelphia 76ers with the 45th overall pick in the2005 NBA draft. He is a 3-timeNBA Sixth Man of the Year. As of March 2019, he is the NBA's career leader in points off the bench,[1] and has played the most career games off the bench, surpassingDell Curry's record in February 2022.[2]
Williams spent seven seasons with Philadelphia before signing with theAtlanta Hawks in 2012, playing two seasons there before being traded to theToronto Raptors in the 2014 offseason. He spent a season with the Raptors and then signed with theLos Angeles Lakers from 2015 until the middle of the2016–17 NBA season, when he was traded to theHouston Rockets. After finishing the season with the Rockets, he was then traded in the 2017 offseason to theLos Angeles Clippers. Williams was dealt back to the Hawks in 2021.
Williams was born inMemphis, Tennessee and moved toAtlanta in his teens.[3] Williams played at Snellville'sSouth Gwinnett High School under Roger Fleetwood, where he was a four-time All-State selection and was named Georgia's "Mr. Basketball" as a junior and senior. As a junior, Williams led South Gwinnett to the 5A Georgia State Championship. At the end of his senior year, Williams was named theNaismith Prep Player of the Year and aMcDonald's All-American as well as a first-teamParade All-American. Lou Williams also participated in theNike Hoop Summit andJordan Brand Classic.
Considered a five-star recruit byRivals.com, Williams was listed as the No. 1 shooting guard and the No. 3 player in the nation overall in 2005.[4]
Williams, and high school teammateMike Mercer, committed to play at theUniversity of Georgia,[5] for then-coachDennis Felton, but Williams ended up declaring for the2005 NBA draft instead.[6] Williams finished his career as the all-time leading scorer in Georgia high school basketball history.
Williams was picked in the 2nd round of the draft and 45th overall by thePhiladelphia 76ers. He played over thirty games in his rookie season, averaging 1.9 points and 0.3 assists.
The next season, Williams was sent to play for theFort Worth Flyers of theNBA Development League on November 28, 2006.[7] After a good showing in the D-League,[8] and trade rumors surrounding 76ers' starting point guardAllen Iverson,[9] Williams was recalled back to the 76ers' roster on December 8, 2006.
During the 2007–08 season, Williams averaged 11.3 ppg, 3.2 apg and 2.0 rpg. At the end of that season, Williams became a restricted free agent and signed a five-year deal worth $25 million to remain with Philadelphia.[10]
In game 4 of the first round of the 2011 Eastern Conference Playoffs, Williams hit a go-aheadthree-pointer to give the 76ers a win against theMiami Heat, 86–82.[11] However, the Sixers ended up losing the series in five games.[12]
For the2011–12 season, Williams led the 76ers in scoring with 14.9 points per game, despite not starting a single game.[13] He was the runner-up finisher for theNBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.[13]
On July 12, 2012, Williams signed with theAtlanta Hawks.[14] On January 18, 2013, against theBrooklyn Nets, Williams landed awkwardly on his right knee and had to leave the game on a wheelchair. It was later revealed that he tore hisACL and would miss the rest of the season.
Williams missed the first few games of the 2013–14 season while recovering from his knee injury. He made his debut on November 20, 2013, scoring 6 points off the bench. On December 14, 2013, Williams scored a season high of 27 points. He finished the season with averages of 10.4 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.1 rebounds.
On June 30, 2014, Williams was traded, along with the draft rights toLucas Nogueira, to the Toronto Raptors in exchange forJohn Salmons and a 2015 second round pick.[15] On November 22, 2014, he scored a then career-high 36 points in the Raptors' 110–93 win over theCleveland Cavaliers.[16] On April 20, 2015, Williams was named the 2015NBA Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the first member of the Toronto Raptors to ever win the award.[17][18]
On July 9, 2015, Williams signed a three-year, $21 million contract with theLos Angeles Lakers.[19][20] He made his debut for the Lakers in the season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 28, 2015, scoring 21 points off the bench in a 112–111 loss.[21] On January 3, 2016, he scored a then season-high 30 points in a 97–77 win over the Phoenix Suns.[22] Five days later, he scored 23 of his then career-high 44 points in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 117–113 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.[23]
On December 3, 2016, Williams scored a season-high 40 points off the bench in a 103–100 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Williams's 40 points were the most ever scored by an opponent's reserve against Memphis, and he became the first player to score 40 off the bench sinceJordan Crawford in April 2014.[24] Two days later, he had 38 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a 107–101 loss to theUtah Jazz, putting together the first back-to-back 30-point games of his 12-year NBA career. He also became the first Lakers player to score at least 38 points in successive games sinceKobe Bryant in March 2013.[25] Over four games between December 3 and 9, Williams scored 137 points—the biggest four-game scoring performance by a reserve since the NBA began keeping track of starts in 1970.[26]
On February 23, 2017, Williams was traded to theHouston Rockets in exchange forCorey Brewer and a 2017 first-round draft pick.[27] He made his debut for the Rockets that night, scoring 27 points with seven three-pointers off the bench in a 129–99 win over theNew Orleans Pelicans.[28] On March 15, 2017, he scored 30 points in a 139–100 win over the Lakers.[29]
On June 28, 2017, theLos Angeles Clippers acquired Williams,Patrick Beverley,Sam Dekker,Montrezl Harrell,Darrun Hilliard,DeAndre Liggins,Kyle Wiltjer, and a 2018 first-round pick from the Houston Rockets in exchange forChris Paul.[30] On November 27, 2017, Williams scored a season-high 42 points in a 120–115 win over theLos Angeles Lakers.[31] On December 9, 2017, he hit a go-ahead pull-up 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining, lifting the Clippers to a 113–112 victory over theWashington Wizards. He finished with 35 points to lead a dominant bench effort for the Clippers.[32] On December 31, 2017, he scored 40 points off the bench in a 106–98 win over theCharlotte Hornets.[33] Williams was subsequently named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, December 25 through Sunday, December 31.[34] On January 10, 2018, he scored 27 of his career-high 50 points in the third quarter of the Clippers' 125–106 win over theGolden State Warriors. He shot 16 for 27 with a career-best eight 3-pointers and made all 10 of his free throws.[35] It was the highest scoring effort by any Clipper in a single game sinceCharles Smith tied a franchise record with 52 points in December 1990.[36] Williams was subsequently named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, January 8 through Sunday, January 14.[36] On January 20, 2018, he recorded 31 points, a franchise-record 10 steals, and seven assists in a 125–113 loss to theUtah Jazz. He became the first player in league history to reach 30 points, 10 steals, and seven assists in a game since steals became a recorded stat.[37] On January 26, 2018, he had 40 points and matched his season high with 10 assists in the Clippers' 109–100 victory over theMemphis Grizzlies.[38] On February 7, 2018, he signed a multi-year contract extension with the Clippers.[39] On February 23, 2018, he had 35 points in 33 minutes, including a 23-point second quarter, in a 128–117 win over thePhoenix Suns.[40] Williams averaged career highs in points (22.6), assists (5.3), and minutes (32.8) during the 2017–18 season. His bench scoring led the NBA in his 13th season.[41] He was subsequently namedNBA Sixth Man of the Year for the second time in his career.[42]
On November 2, 2018, Williams scored 23 of his game-high 28 points in the second half of the Clippers' 120–95 win over theOrlando Magic.[43] The Clippers started the season with a 17–9 record before Williams suffered a right hamstring injury.[44] In the four games he missed, the Clippers endured a four-game losing streak.[45] In his return to action on December 20, Williams scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter of the Clippers' 125–121 win over theDallas Mavericks.[45] On December 28, he had a season-high 36 points in a 118–107 win over the Lakers.[46] On January 25, 2019, he recorded his first career triple-double with 31 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in a 106–101 win over theChicago Bulls, joiningDetlef Schrempf (in 1993) as the only other player in NBA history with a 30-point triple double off the bench.[47] Williams' first triple-double occurred in his 904th career game—onlyZach Randolph at 974 games logged his first later in his career.[48] On February 2, he scored 39 points and helped the Clippers rally from a 25-point deficit to beat theDetroit Pistons 111–101.[49] On February 11, he scored a season-high 45 points off the bench in a 130–120 loss to theMinnesota Timberwolves.[50] On February 13, he recorded 30 points and 10 assists in 22 minutes in a 134–107 win over the Suns, becoming the first player in NBA history with at least 30 points and 10 assists in fewer than 23 minutes.[51] On March 8, he scored 40 points in a 118–110 win over theOklahoma City Thunder, thus passingJamal Crawford for second in NBA career points off the bench.[52] It was also the 28th game of his career with 30 or more off the bench, breakingRicky Pierce's record of 27.[51] On March 11, he became the NBA's career leader in points off the bench with 34 points in a 140–115 win over theBoston Celtics, thus surpassingDell Curry (11,147).[53] On March 17, he scored 25 points and hit a 28-foot 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer to give the Clippers a 119–116 victory over theBrooklyn Nets.[54]
On April 15, 2019, Williams had 36 points and 11 assists to help the Clippers overcome a 31-point deficit—the biggest comeback in NBA playoff history—and tie the first-round series at 1–1 against the Warriors with a 135–131 win.[55][56] He became only the second bench player in NBA history with a 30-point, 10-assist performance in the playoffs.[57] In Game 5 of the series, he had 33 points and 10 assists in a 129–121 win.[58] The Clippers went on to lose Game 6 to bow out of the playoffs. At theNBA's end-of-season awards night, Williams was named theNBA's Sixth Man of the Year, joiningJamal Crawford as the only three-time winners of the award.[59]
After violating therules of theNBA Bubble, Williams was required to sit out the first two seeding games of the2019–20 season to fulfill his quarantine requirements.[60] In the2020 NBA playoffs, he struggled throughout the postseason, having averages of 12.8 points and 4.2 assists as the Clippers fell in seven games against the Denver Nuggets while surrendering a 3–1 lead in the Western Conference semi-finals.
On February 14, 2021, Williams logged 30 points and 10 assists, both season-highs, in a 128–111 win over theCleveland Cavaliers.[61]
On March 25, 2021, Williams, two second-round draft picks, and cash considerations were traded to theAtlanta Hawks in exchange forRajon Rondo.[62] With his hometown team, Williams reached the Conference Finals for the first time in his career and played a career high 18 playoff games with his Atlanta Hawks. On August 6, 2021, he re-signed with the Hawks.[63]
On June 18, 2023, Williams announced his retirement after a 17-year career at the age of 36. By the time his career was over, Williams had scored 13,396 points off the bench, which stands as an NBA record.[64]
Williams is the son of Willie Louis Williams and Janice Faulkner. He has two brothers, Taurus Stinnett and Willie Louis Williams II, and one sister, Shaun Haynes.[65] Williams has three children. He is a close friend ofBow Wow and was seen socializing with him at his house on an episode ofMTV Cribs.[66]
Williams has recorded several rap tracks and was featured onMeek Mill's single "I Want It All".[67]
He runs an annual summer camp at South Gwinnett High School, his alma mater, for children ages 10–16. "This camp means a lot to me because I can give back to a community that has done so much for me", Williams said.
In December 2011, Williams claimed his NBA recognition saved him from an armed robbery attempt in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Manayunk. A gunman allegedly tried to rob Williams but stopped and said he was a fan of the player. After Williams and the gunman reached an understanding, Williams bought him food fromMcDonald's.[68]
In 2014, it was revealed that Williams was dating both Ashley Henderson and Rece Mitchell at the same time.[69] As of 2018, his relationship with Henderson had ended.[70]
He is the subject of a song by Canadian rapperDrake called "6 Man" on Drake's mixtapeIf You're Reading This It's Too Late. Drake referenced Williams' role as asixth man for the Raptors, as well as his alleged two girlfriends. The song was released on February 12, 2015, the same season Williams won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. The song was played during Williams' trophy presentation during the Raptorsplayoff game against theWashington Wizards, and he is featured in the song's music video: a promotion forOVO's Raptors themed Spring 2015 Apparel.[71]
In July 2020, while on an excused absence from the OrlandoNBA quarantine bubble, Williams attended a funeral viewing for Paul G. Williams, the father of a family friend. After the viewing, Williams went to theMagic Citygentlemen's club for dinner. The controversy caused NBA investigators to question Williams and assess the length of his re-quarantining process.[72]
After an interview on a podcast, Lou Williams gained the nickname "Lemon Pepper Lou" which originates from the type of seasonings preferred on chicken wings while visiting the aforementioned gentlemen's club.[73]
| 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 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Philadelphia | 30 | 0 | 4.8 | .442 | .222 | .615 | .6 | .3 | .2 | .0 | 1.9 |
| 2006–07 | Philadelphia | 61 | 0 | 11.3 | .441 | .324 | .696 | 1.1 | 1.8 | .4 | .0 | 4.3 |
| 2007–08 | Philadelphia | 80 | 0 | 23.3 | .424 | .359 | .783 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 1.0 | .2 | 11.5 |
| 2008–09 | Philadelphia | 81 | 0 | 23.7 | .398 | .286 | .790 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .2 | 12.8 |
| 2009–10 | Philadelphia | 64 | 38 | 29.9 | .470 | .340 | .824 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 1.3 | .2 | 14.0 |
| 2010–11 | Philadelphia | 75 | 0 | 23.3 | .406 | .348 | .823 | 2.0 | 3.4 | .6 | .2 | 13.7 |
| 2011–12 | Philadelphia | 64 | 0 | 26.3 | .407 | .362 | .812 | 2.4 | 3.5 | .8 | .3 | 14.9 |
| 2012–13 | Atlanta | 39 | 9 | 28.7 | .422 | .367 | .868 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 1.1 | .3 | 14.1 |
| 2013–14 | Atlanta | 60 | 7 | 24.1 | .400 | .342 | .849 | 2.1 | 3.5 | .8 | .1 | 10.4 |
| 2014–15 | Toronto | 80 | 0 | 25.2 | .404 | .340 | .861 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .1 | 15.5 |
| 2015–16 | L.A. Lakers | 67 | 35 | 28.5 | .408 | .344 | .830 | 2.5 | 2.5 | .9 | .3 | 15.3 |
| 2016–17 | L.A. Lakers | 58 | 1 | 24.2 | .444 | .385 | .884 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 1.1 | .2 | 18.6 |
| Houston | 23 | 0 | 25.7 | .385 | .315 | .867 | 3.0 | 2.4 | .7 | .4 | 14.9 | |
| 2017–18 | L.A. Clippers | 79 | 19 | 32.8 | .435 | .359 | .880 | 2.5 | 5.3 | 1.1 | .2 | 22.6 |
| 2018–19 | L.A. Clippers | 75 | 1 | 26.6 | .425 | .361 | .876 | 3.0 | 5.4 | .8 | .1 | 20.0 |
| 2019–20 | L.A. Clippers | 65 | 8 | 28.7 | .418 | .352 | .861 | 3.1 | 5.6 | .7 | .2 | 18.2 |
| 2020–21 | L.A. Clippers | 42 | 3 | 21.9 | .421 | .378 | .866 | 2.1 | 3.4 | .9 | .1 | 12.1 |
| Atlanta | 24 | 1 | 21.0 | .389 | .444 | .870 | 2.1 | 3.4 | .3 | .1 | 10.0 | |
| 2021–22 | Atlanta | 56 | 0 | 14.3 | .391 | .363 | .859 | 1.6 | 1.9 | .5 | .1 | 6.3 |
| Career | 1,123 | 122 | 24.1 | .419 | .351 | .842 | 2.2 | 3.4 | .8 | .2 | 13.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Philadelphia | 6 | 0 | 22.5 | .400 | .222 | .733 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 12.0 |
| 2009 | Philadelphia | 6 | 0 | 24.8 | .412 | .375 | .667 | 2.5 | 2.8 | .5 | .2 | 9.7 |
| 2011 | Philadelphia | 5 | 0 | 26.0 | .327 | .300 | .737 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 10.8 |
| 2012 | Philadelphia | 13 | 0 | 27.5 | .352 | .167 | .788 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 11.5 |
| 2014 | Atlanta | 7 | 0 | 19.0 | .380 | .313 | .938 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | .1 | 8.3 |
| 2015 | Toronto | 4 | 0 | 25.5 | .314 | .190 | .833 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.5 | .0 | 12.8 |
| 2017 | Houston | 11 | 0 | 24.7 | .424 | .308 | .897 | 2.7 | 1.3 | .6 | .1 | 12.5 |
| 2019 | L.A. Clippers | 6 | 0 | 29.3 | .433 | .333 | .829 | 2.8 | 7.7 | .8 | .2 | 21.7 |
| 2020 | L.A. Clippers | 13 | 0 | 26.2 | .425 | .235 | .811 | 3.2 | 4.2 | .8 | .2 | 12.8 |
| 2021 | Atlanta | 18 | 2 | 15.4 | .455 | .433 | .963 | 1.4 | 2.2 | .7 | .1 | 7.7 |
| Career | 89 | 2 | 23.3 | .400 | .276 | .820 | 2.2 | 2.8 | .8 | .1 | 11.4 | |
It was also the 27th game of his 13-year career in which he has scored 30 or more off the bench, tying Ricky Pierce.
