 Wattsc. 1977 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1951-07-22)July 22, 1951 Rolling Fork, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | March 15, 2025(2025-03-15) (aged 73) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Henry Weather (Rolling Fork, Mississippi) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1973:undrafted |
| Playing career | 1973–1979 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 13, 14, 00 |
| Career history | |
| 1973–1978 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1978 | New Orleans Jazz |
| 1978–1979 | Houston Rockets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 3,901 (8.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,398 (3.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,678 (6.1 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Donald Earl "Slick"Watts (July 22, 1951 – March 15, 2025) was an American professional basketball player in theNational Basketball Association (NBA).[1] Playing with theSeattle SuperSonics in 1976, he became the first player to lead the league in bothassists andsteals. He remained a favorite of Sonics fans after his basketball career.
Watts was born on July 22, 1951, inRolling Fork, Mississippi. His father was a mechanic and his mother was a teacher.[2] When Watts was 13, afootball injury damaged his scalp, causing his hair to grow in unusual patches. This led him to shave his head.[3]
Watts attendedGrand View Junior College before transferring toXavier University of Louisiana in 1970, where he played college basketball for three years under coachBob Hopkins, and alongside futureNBA playerBruce Seals.[4]
For the 1971–72 season, Watts and Seals led theGold Rush to its first NAIA District 30 Men's Basketball championship, defeatingNicholls State University 85–83, before losing toWestmont College in the1972 NAIA basketball tournament semi-finals 71–59.[5]
During his final season, Watts led the Gold Rush to their second consecutiveNAIA District 30 Championship, defeatingDillard University 101–80.[5] In the1973 NAIA basketball tournament Watts and his teammates upsetSam Houston State University, 67–60, in the second round. At the time, theBearkats were ranked first in the country in all college division polls and had gone 34 games, over a two-year period, without a loss. Xavier eventually lost in the semi-finals toMaryland-Eastern Shore 87–80.
Watts was not selected in the1973 NBA draft, though he was chosen by theMemphis Tams in the second round of the1973 ABA supplemental draft.[6] However, Watts' college coach atXavier University,Bob Hopkins, was a cousin of NBA legendBill Russell, who at the time was the coach and general manager for theSeattle SuperSonics.[3] Russell gave Watts a tryout and signed him as a rookie free agent.[7]
Despite coming off the bench, Watts led the Sonics in assists per game (5.7) as a rookie in 1973–74. His playing time increased the next season, as Watts led the franchise to its first playoff berth.[2] On February 21, 1975, Watts recorded his first careertriple-double with 12 points, 10rebounds, and 11assists, while adding foursteals, in a 110–108 win over theAtlanta Hawks.[8] Two days later, Watts recorded a career-high nine steals, while also scoring 13 points and adding 14 assists, during a 114–100 loss to thePhiladelphia 76ers.[9]
After signing a three-year, $100,000 contract, Watts became a starter for the 1975–76 season,[10] and would go on to lead the NBA in total assists, assists per game, total steals, and steals per game, while making theNBA All-Defensive First Team. He was the first player to lead the NBA in assists and steals in the same season.[1][6] In 1976, Watts' energetic playing style, unique look, and rapport with the fans ledSports Illustrated to call him "the most popular athlete ever to perform in the state of Washington".[11] He also received theJ. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his outstanding service to the community.[12] Watts followed with another productive year in the 1976–77 season, averaging 8.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game.[1]
At the start of the 1977–78 season, Watts was re-united with Hopkins, who was hired as the Sonics' new head coach. But Hopkins was fired after a 5–17 start, and new coachLenny Wilkens made some lineup changes, one of which was to replace Watts withDennis Johnson. Watts was eventually traded mid-season to theNew Orleans Jazz for a first-round draft pick.[2]
Watts retired from the league after the 1978–79 season due to mounting injuries. He played4+1⁄2 years with the Sonics, half a season with theNew Orleans Jazz, and one season with theHouston Rockets.[1]
He gained the nickname "Slick" because he was one of the first players to shave his head, unusual at the time.[2] In 1974,The News Tribune wrote, "In this day of long hair, Watts is a very unusual person".[2] He was also known for wearing his headband off-center.[13]
| 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 |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–74 | Seattle | 62 | – | 23.0 | .388 | – | .645 | 2.9 | 5.7 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 8.0 |
| 1974–75 | Seattle | 82 | – | 25.1 | .421 | – | .608 | 3.2 | 6.1 | 2.3 | 0.1 | 6.8 |
| 1975–76 | Seattle | 82 | – | 33.9 | .427 | – | .578 | 4.5 | 8.1* | 3.2* | 0.2 | 13.0 |
| 1976–77 | Seattle | 79 | – | 33.3 | .422 | – | .587 | 3.9 | 8.0 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 13.0 |
| 1977–78 | Seattle | 32 | – | 25.3 | .404 | – | .566 | 2.5 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 7.8 |
| 1977–78 | New Orleans | 39 | – | 19.9 | .381 | – | .602 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 7.2 |
| 1978–79 | Houston | 61 | – | 17.1 | .405 | – | .612 | 1.7 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 3.7 |
| Career[1] | 437 | – | 26.3 | .413 | – | .597 | 3.2 | 6.1 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 8.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Seattle | 9 | – | 31.3 | .462 | – | .538 | 3.7 | 7.1 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 11.1 |
| 1976 | Seattle | 6 | – | 32.8 | .435 | – | .478 | 3.0 | 8.2 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 11.8 |
| 1979 | Houston | 2 | – | 21.5 | .400 | – | .667 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 7.0 |
| Career[1] | 17 | – | 30.7 | .446 | – | .519 | 3.4 | 7.1 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 10.9 | |
After his playing career, Watts became aphysical education teacher at Dearborn Park Elementary School and High Point Elementary School. He coached basketball atFranklin High School in the Seattle area and took up tennis.[14]
He ended his post-basketball career teaching physical education for nearly 20 years at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary (formerly named Brighton Elementary) in Seattle before retiring in 2017.[15]
Despite a somewhat short tenure with the SuperSonics, Watts remained a fan favorite.[11][2] He was named to the Sonics' 40th anniversary team before they moved toOklahoma City.[3] The Seattle rap duoBlue Scholars named a song about the SuperSonics after him.[2] Watts was a staple at Seattle sporting events, attending SuperSonics andSeattle Storm games. "Slick was a champion for the Storm and a beloved member of the Seattle community”, wrote the Storm organization.[6]The Seattle Times called him "an ambassador of Seattle basketball" and "a generational figure in the Seattle hoops scene".[3]
Watts' sons both played college basketball, Tony atMississippi State from 1988–92 and Donald at theUniversity of Washington from 1995–99. A grandson, Isaiah, currently plays atWashington State, and a granddaughter, Jadyn, plays atWestern Washington.[2]
Watts dealt withsarcoidosis, an inflammation of the lungs.[2] In 2001, Watts spent 22 days in a hospital with sarcoidosis, which caused his weight to drop by almost 50 lb (23 kg) before his condition improved. In April 2021, three months before his 70th birthday, Watts suffered a majorstroke.[16] He died on March 15, 2025, at the age of 73.[3]
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