Earl "the Twirl" Williams (born March 24, 1951) is an American-Israeli former professional basketball player[1] who in 1990 and 1991 was the top rebounder in the Israel Basketball Premier League. He is also a teacher of children with special needs.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 24, 1951 Levittown, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American / Israeli |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Woodrow Wilson (Levittown, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Winston-Salem State (1970–1974) |
| NBA draft | 1974: 3rd round, 49th overall pick |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Playing career | 1974–1994 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 14 |
| Career history | |
| 1974–1975 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1975–1976 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1976 | New York Nets |
| 1977–1978 | Alvik BK |
| 1978–1979 | Boston Celtics |
| 1979–1983 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 1983–1984 | Fortitudo Bologna |
| 1984–1985 | Pallacanestro Brindisi |
| 1988–1989 | Hapoel Holon |
| 1989–1990 | Maccabi Ramat Gan |
| 1990–1991 | Hapoel Holon |
| 1993–1994 | Bnei Herzliya |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life and education
Williams played high school basketball while attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Levittown, Pennsylvania. He played college basketball at Winston-Salem State University, with the Winston-Salem State Rams.[1]
Professional career
United States
In the 1974 NBA draft, Williams was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the 3rd round, with the 13th pick (49th overall).[1] He made his NBA debut on October 17, 1974, with Phoenix. During the next four years, he played for other NBA teams as well: the Detroit Pistons, the New York Nets, and the Boston Celtics.[1] On September 30, 1975, he was traded by the Suns to the Detroit Pistons, for a 1976 2nd round draft pick (Earl Tatum).
Sweden
In the 1977–78 season, Williams played for the Swedish League team Alvik. Alvik came in 2nd in the league that year.[2]
Israel
Williams later played professionally in the Israeli League. He starred for a portion of the time with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Holon,[3][4] and he also played with Maccabi Ramat Gan.[citation needed] In 1990, at age 39, he was the oldest player in the Israeli League.[5] wIn 1990 and 1991 he was the top rebounder in the Israel Basketball Premier League.
Italy
Williams played two seasons for Italian teams as well: Fortitudo Bologna in 1984–1985, and Libertas Brindisi in 1988–1989.
Personal life
In 1982, Williams converted to Judaism.[6] Williams also became a naturalized Israeli citizen, becoming a dual US-Israeli citizen.[7][8]
References
- ^ a b c d "Earl Williams NBA Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ "1970-80 statistics". Alvik Basket. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ "Israeli Basketball Team Plays Despite Cloud of War". St. Paul Pioneer Press. February 22, 1991. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ "Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv wins Euro championship". Israel21c.org. May 2, 2004. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ Leibowitz, Steve (September 25, 1990). "Galil Stop "Upstart" Ramat Hasharon". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ Weisbord, Robert G.; Kazarian, Richard (1985). Israel in the Black American perspective. Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313240164. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
- ^ Ben-David, Calev (March 7, 1991). "A whole new ball game". The Jerusalem Report. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ Gordin, Joel (January 30, 1991). "Israeli Basketball In Dire Straits". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
External links
- Williams' NBA stats at basketballreference.com