Fly Williams

James"Fly"Williams(born February 18, 1953) is an American former professionalbasketballplayer. He played in theAmerican Basketball Association(ABA) for theSpirits of St. Louisand for multiple teams in theContinental Basketball Association(CBA). Astreet basketballplayer from New York, he once scored 100 points in an IS8 League game in 1978.

Fly Williams

Williams with theAustin Peay Governorsduring the 1973–74 season
Personal information
Born	(1953-02-18)February 18, 1953 Brooklyn, New York,U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school	James Madison (Brooklyn, New York) Glen Springs Academy (Watkins Glen, New York)
College	Austin Peay(1972–1974)
NBA draft	1976:9th round, 152nd overall pick
Selected by thePhiladelphia 76ers
Position	Shooting guard
Number	35
Career history
1974–1975	Spirits of St. Louis
1975–1976	Allentown Jets
1976–1977	Lancaster Red Roses
1977–1979	Jersey Shore Bullets
1979–1980	Rochester Zeniths
Career highlights and awards
Third-teamAll-American–UPI(1974) OVC Player of the Year(1974) 2× First-team All-OVC(1973, 1974) No. 35retired by Austin Peay Governors
StatsatBasketball Reference

Early life

Born inBrownsville, Brooklyn, New York,Williams attendedMadison High School.Initially, he was interested in being abaseballpitcherbut was advised that he had become too tall to remain competitive in that sport.

Although Williams’ transition to basketball was difficult at first, he eventually made adjustments that allowed him to excel in his new game. Williams' popularity quickly grew due to frequent participation in street basketball games. He played with some of New York's finest street players, includingWorld B. FreeandEarl "the Goat" Manigault.When the neighborhood games eventually ended, Williams would go out in search of more opportunities to play basketball.

Williams dominated Madison High hoops in the early 1970s. By his freshman year, he stood 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall, possessing elusive moves, a fantastic shot, knowledge of backboard action and an seemingly innate ability to work crowds. However, due to poor attendance at Madison, Williams transferred and completed high school at Glen Springs Academy, a prep school.inWatkins Glen, New York.The bookHeaven Is a Playgrounddiscusses, among other things, the education of Fly Williams.According to sportswriterTerry Pluto,Williams assumed the nickname as an homage to singerCurtis "Super Fly" Mayfield.Williams was known for his play atRucker Parkand The Hole inBrownsville.

College

After Williams completed high school, he was recruited by assistant basketball coach,Leonard Hamilton,to attendAustin Peay State UniversityinClarksville, Tennessee.

Williams arrived on campus in 1972. A substantial reception greeted him upon arrival, which included a sky-writing demonstration spelling out his name.His scoring record as a freshman was impressive. Williams averaged 29.4 points per game in 1973, fifth best in the nation. When theAustin Peay Governorswon a bid to theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) tournament, Williams scored 26 points in a first-round win overJacksonville University.In the second round of the tournament, Williams again scored 26, but the Governors lost in overtime to theUniversity of Kentucky,coached byJoe B. Hall.

Williams scored 51 points twice as a freshman. In his sophomore season, Williams averaged 27.5 points per game, good enough for the third-highest average in the NCAA. Once again, the Governors basketball team won a bid for the NCAA tournament. Williams again scored 26 points, but Austin Peay lost toNotre Dame,108–66, in the first round.

During his time at Austin Peay, Williams scored 1,541 points with a 28.5 point per game average.He left college due to hardship and pursued a professional career. In 1975, Austin Peay was able to follow up Williams' two years of scoring numbers by opening theDunn Center,a larger gymnasium, which accommodated the increased attendance at basketball games.

Professional career

TheDenver Nuggetsdrafted Williams in the first round (second overall) of the1974 ABA Draft.Following the draft, there were several offers to buy Williams' player contract. Eventually, his contract was sold to theSpirits of St. Louis.(Bob Costas,then a young sports broadcaster, announced their games. Costas would later contribute to the book, "Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association,"written byTerry Pluto.)

The 1974–75 season was a disappointment to Williams and his team. He only managed to score 9.4 points per game for the Spirits.Williams’ scoring was erratic and he became known more for his showmanship than his scoring proficiency. He did not play during the following year (1975–76), after which the Spirits of St. Louis were one of two teams, along with theKentucky Colonels,to fold as a result of theABA- NBA merger.Williams ended up without a team despite some interest in retaining him in the league, but eventually thePhiladelphia 76ersselected Williams in the ninth round (152nd overall) of the1976 NBA draft,despite not signing him to a player contract.

Williams then played in theContinental Basketball Associationand the Eastern League,but he failed to attract attention by NBAscouts.He later played for a team inIsrael,eventually admitting that his temperament probably predicated his lack of serious offers after the leagues merged.

Retirement

Williams's career ended when he was shot by an off-duty police officer. The shotgun wound left him with decreased lung capacity and scars on his back. In retirement, Williams spent time working with disadvantaged youth and continued to play "streetball"; Williams is listed as the number two athlete on the "50 Greatest Streetballers of All Time" by the Street Basketball Association (SBA).

While playing at Austin Peay, Williams' nickname inspired a humorous fan chant: "The Fly is open, let's go Peay!" Fans still chant "Let's Go Peay" at all basketball games. Williams' number 35 jersey was retired by Austin Peay State University on February 5, 2009.

A book on the life of Williams was written by Knoxville, Tennessee-based author Dave Link. CalledThe Fly 35(citing his jersey number at Austin Peay), it was published to coincide with the jersey retirement ceremony.

In May 2017, Williams was arrested in Brooklyn, NY, and charged with being the alleged leader of a large heroin distribution ring.

See also

• List of basketball players who have scored 100 points in a single game

Notes

• "Fly on the Rebound: An update on a basketball legend".Austin Peay State University Alumni Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon 2007-06-06.Retrieved2007-06-07.
• The New York Times article about Fly Williams' shooting incident
• Pluto, Terry,Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association,Simon & Schuster, 1991,ISBN978-0-671-74921-7

External links

• Career statistics fromBasketball Reference,orSports Reference College Basketball