Shammond Williams
Encyclopedia
Shammond Omar Williams is a naturalized Georgian professional basketball
player who grew up in the United States
(represents the Republic of Georgia internationally). The 6'1" (1.85 m) combination point guard
/shooting guard
is known for his long-range shooting accuracy. Over the years, he has played on various teams, ranging from the Los Angeles Lakers
of the NBA to FC Barcelona. He is currently a free agent
.
, Williams played college basketball
at North Carolina
under Dean Smith
and later, Bill Guthridge
. During the 1997-1998 season, he was a member of new coach Bill Guthridge
's successful "Six Starters" rotation with Antawn Jamison
, Vince Carter
, Ed Cota
, Ademola Okulaja
and Makhtar N'Diaye. That season (his final college season), he averaged 16.7 points and 4.2 assists per game to go along with career averages of 10.7 points and 3.0 assists per game.
When Williams graduated from North Carolina
, he held the following school records:
Williams also became a pioneer of the internet during his collegiate career. In 1995, Shammond Williams became the very first collegiate athlete to have a website dedicated to him on the World Wide Web. The website was developed by Seth Fleishman, and an archive of "Shammond's World" is still available for viewing.
by the Chicago Bulls
. While he never played for the Bulls, he did play for the Atlanta Hawks
, Seattle SuperSonics
, Boston Celtics
, Denver Nuggets
, New Orleans Hornets, and Orlando Magic
.
He played internationally for Unics Kazan
of Russia
(where he obtained Georgian
citizenship) and for Winterthur FC Barcelona of the Spanish Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
(ACB). He has played for the Georgia national team
and was the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 EuroChallenge
All-Star Game.
Williams signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers
on July 12, 2006.
After spending one season with the Lakers, Williams returned to Europe
and signed with Pamesa Velencia for three seasons. Before the start of the 2009-2010 ACB regular season, Pamesa Valencia released Williams, whereupon he trained on his own in the United States. On November 9, 2009, Williams returned to Spain and signed with Unicaja Málaga.
In January 2011 he signed with Proteas EKA AEL
in Cyprus
.. After finishing the season in Cyprus he signed with Sutor Basket Montegranaro
in Italy
.
of the Boston Celtics
and Louis McCullough
of the Syracuse Raging Bullz
of the American Basketball Association
. He is a member of the Psi Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who grew up in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(represents the Republic of Georgia internationally). The 6'1" (1.85 m) combination point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
/shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
is known for his long-range shooting accuracy. Over the years, he has played on various teams, ranging from the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA to FC Barcelona. He is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Collegiate career
After attending Fork Union Military AcademyFork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy is a private, military boarding school located in the town of Fork Union, Virginia. The school is more commonly known by its acronym FUMA ....
, Williams played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
under Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
and later, Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge is a retired American college basketball coach.Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for 30 years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina. Following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge served as head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons...
. During the 1997-1998 season, he was a member of new coach Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge is a retired American college basketball coach.Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for 30 years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina. Following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge served as head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons...
's successful "Six Starters" rotation with Antawn Jamison
Antawn Jamison
Antawn Cortez Jamison is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He currently plays power forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers and was a member of the USA National Team for the 2006 FIBA World Championships...
, Vince Carter
Vince Carter
Vincent Lamar "Vince" Carter is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is a shooting guard who can also play small forward....
, Ed Cota
Ed Cota
Eduardo Enrique Cota is an American professional basketball player. The 6' 0", 195-lb. point guard played for Atlas Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski in Poland. He is currently living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina....
, Ademola Okulaja
Ademola Okulaja
Ademola Okulaja, is a former German professional basketball player. The last team he played for were the Brose Baskets from Germany...
and Makhtar N'Diaye. That season (his final college season), he averaged 16.7 points and 4.2 assists per game to go along with career averages of 10.7 points and 3.0 assists per game.
When Williams graduated from North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, he held the following school records:
- Most Career Three Point Field Goals Made: 233
- Most Season Three Point Field Goals Made: 95
- Most Three Point Field Goals Made in a Game: 8 (tie)
- Highest Career Free Throw Percentage: .849
- Highest Season Free Throw Percentage .911
Williams also became a pioneer of the internet during his collegiate career. In 1995, Shammond Williams became the very first collegiate athlete to have a website dedicated to him on the World Wide Web. The website was developed by Seth Fleishman, and an archive of "Shammond's World" is still available for viewing.
Professional career
Williams was selected in the second round, 34th overall, of the 1998 NBA Draft1998 NBA Draft
The 1998 NBA Draft took place on June 24, 1998 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around three struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Toronto Raptors....
by the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. While he never played for the Bulls, he did play for the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, New Orleans Hornets, and Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
.
He played internationally for Unics Kazan
UNICS Kazan
UNICS Kazan is a professional basketball club in Kazan, Russia playing in the PBL. Their home arena is Basket Hall Arena.Though officially the professional club was founded in 1991 , UNICS traces its origin back to KSU's college team Burevestnik which participated in USSR student championships...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(where he obtained Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
citizenship) and for Winterthur FC Barcelona of the Spanish Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
The Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European...
(ACB). He has played for the Georgia national team
Georgia national basketball team
The Georgian national basketball team represents the country of Georgia in international basketball competitions. Georgia's national team is currently playing in the European Championship A Division....
and was the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 EuroChallenge
EuroChallenge
The EuroChallenge is the 3rd tier level transnational men's professional club basketball competition in Europe. It is organized and run by FIBA Europe...
All-Star Game.
Williams signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
on July 12, 2006.
After spending one season with the Lakers, Williams returned to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and signed with Pamesa Velencia for three seasons. Before the start of the 2009-2010 ACB regular season, Pamesa Valencia released Williams, whereupon he trained on his own in the United States. On November 9, 2009, Williams returned to Spain and signed with Unicaja Málaga.
In January 2011 he signed with Proteas EKA AEL
Proteas EKA AEL
Proteas EKA AEL , is a Cypriot professional basketball club based in Limassol, Cyprus. The club competes in the Cypriot League...
in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.. After finishing the season in Cyprus he signed with Sutor Basket Montegranaro
Sutor Basket Montegranaro
Sutor Basket Montegranaro, also known for sponsorship reasons as Sigma Coatings Montegranaro, is an Italian League professional basketball club from the town of Montegranaro, Marche...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Personal
He is a cousin of Kevin GarnettKevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
of the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
and Louis McCullough
Louis McCullough
Louis McCullough is an American professional basketball player.McCullough currently plays for Syracuse Raging Bullz, for whom he signed for in July 2007, after a successful spell at Chester Jets in the British Basketball League...
of the Syracuse Raging Bullz
Syracuse Raging Bullz
The Syracuse Raging Bullz were a team of the American Basketball Association that played during the 2007-08 season. After postponing a couple of games to better market the team, the decision was made to cancel the remainder of the season. The following is posted on their website:The team was...
of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
. He is a member of the Psi Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
.