Two-time NBA All-Star Gus Williams, who led the Seattle Jetsons to the franchise’s only NBA championship, has died. He was 71 years old.
Williams’ death comes nearly five years after suffering a debilitating stroke. According The Seattle Times, The cause of his death was not immediately known, but he was living in a care facility in Baltimore at the time of his death.
Gus Williams of the Seattle Sonics moves the ball up the court against the Celtics in 1978 at the Boston Garden. (Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
Peter Vecsey, veteran sports journalist reported Thursday that Williams’ brother said the former basketball player’s body “just decomposed” in recent days. He also confirmed that the funeral will be held in Mount Vernon, New York, Williams’ hometown.
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Williams was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 1975 NBA Draft. He would earn NBA All-Rookie Team honors that year and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting that season.
He played two seasons with the Warriors before signing in 1977 for the Sonics, where he would quickly make a name for himself as one of the most dynamic guards of his time.
The former USC standout led the Sonics to their only championship title in 1979, when he averaged a team-high 26.7 points during the playoffs.
Gus Williams of the Seattle Supersonics dribbles the ball against the Washington Bullets circa 1981 at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland. Williams played for the Supersonics from 1977 to 1984. (Focus on sport/Getty Images)
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A two-time NBA All-Star, Williams missed the 1980 season due to a contract dispute, but returned the following season to finish fifth in MVP voting and win the NBA Comeback Player of the Year award.
SuperSonics point guard Gus Williams during Game 3 of the 1979 NBA Finals, played at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington, on May 27, 1979. The Sonics won the game, 95-105, and ultimately the series 4-1. (Jay Lurie/FPG/File Photos/Getty Images)
The NBA community mourned the loss of Williams on social media following the news of his death.
Williams retired from basketball in 1987 after one season with the Atlanta Falcons. The Sonics retired his jersey in 2004.
