Eric Williams (basketball)

infobox NBA Player
name = Eric Williams


position = Small forward
height_ft = 6 | height_in = 8
weight_lbs = 220
nationality = American
birth_date = birth date and age|1972|7|17
birth_place = Newark, New Jersey
college = Providence
draft_year = 1995
draft = 14th overall
draft_team = Boston Celtics
team =
career_start = 1995
career_end =
former_teams = Boston Celtics
Denver Nuggets
Cleveland Cavaliers
New Jersey Nets
Toronto Raptors
San Antonio Spurs
Charlotte Bobcats
awards =

Eric C. Williams (born July 17 1972 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American professional basketball player formerly in the National Basketball Association.

Following a collegiate career at Providence College, the 6' 8" small forward was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 14th pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. He played two years with them before being traded to the Denver Nuggets during the 1997 offseason for a couple of second round draft picks. The Nuggets only got four games out of Williams during the 1997-98 campaign due to him tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The following season he returned, but only played in 38 of 82 regular season games with Denver before they repatriated him back to Boston along with Danny Fortson and Eric Washington plus a future draft pick in exchange for Ron Mercer, Ronald "Popeye" Jones and Dwayne Schintzius. His second tenure with the Celtics lasted over four seasons until they traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers along with Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown in a swap for Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm, Michael Stewart and a second round draft pick on December 15, 2003. He became a free agent after 50 games with the Cavaliers, and signed with the New Jersey Nets prior to the 2004-05 season. Williams was soon part of a blockbuster player trade when the Nets sent himself, Aaron Williams, Alonzo Mourning and two future first-round draft picks to the Toronto Raptors for franchise player Vince Carter.

He holds career averages of 8.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. [ [http://www.nba.com/playerfile/eric_williams/index.html?nav=page NBA.com Player stats] ]

In 2005, Williams decided to launch his own line of clothing honoring the Negro Basketball League, despite no such league ever having existed. [ [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1131663013046&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064&t=TS_Home TheStar.com - Page Not Found ] ]

On June 21, 2006, Williams was traded with Matt Bonner and a second round pick in the 2009 NBA Draft to San Antonio for Rasho Nesterovič and cash. [ [http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/pressrelease_062106.html NBA.com Press Release, June 21, 2006] ]

On February 13, 2007 he was traded along with the 2nd round pick in the 2009 NBA Draft that the Spurs got from the Raptors to the Charlotte Bobcats for Melvin Ely. On March 16, Williams was waived by the Bobcats to make room for Alan Anderson. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2802513 After being waived, Anderson re-signs with Bobcats] , March 17, 2007]

References