NBA
Gus Williams dead at 71: All-Star had led SuperSonics to their only title in 1979
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All posts by Antonio KozlowUpdated1 hour ago on January 17, 2025
Sad news reached the basketball world this week, as NBA champion Gus Williams died on Wednesday at the age of 71. The former athlete, who wore the SuperSonics jersey for 11-long years, had led the franchise to their only league title conquered back in 1979.
However, one of the first to share the news on social media were the Washington Wizards, which is the team he played for during the final season of his career. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Washington Bullets alumni, Gus Williams. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones,” the club expressed.
Gus was first drafted by the Warriors in 1975 and went on to become a runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award that campaign. After two seasons in Golden State, he joined the Sonics as a free agent. In Washington State he immediately started playing his best basketball, averaging 18.6 points per game over his first two seasons.
Remembering Gus Williams (1953-2025) pic.twitter.com/UGBFH2mq7v
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 17, 2025
It was during that second year in Seattle, when he lead the squad to the only championship in the former team’s history, after a 4-1 series victory over the Washington Bullets. Williams is remembered as an unstoppable force during those NBA Finals, leading in scoring at 29 points a match while shooting 50% from the field.
After four more years playing for the Sonics, he eventually was forced to miss the entirety of the 1980-81 season due to a contract dispute. Nevertheless, Gus returned the following season to put up career-high numbers and finish 5th in the MVP voting.
His final years were spent playing for the Atlanta Hawks and the Bullets, but it truly was with the Sonics were he cemented his legacy. The former star not only reached two All-Star selections in 1982 and 1983, but the franchise eventually retired his No. 1 jersey.
One of his former teammates, Wally Walker, always remembered him as “The Wizard.” He recently told the Seattle Times that Williams’ energy “was always so positive and his sense of humor was always there. He got along with everybody. It was always fun with Gus, and a lot of laughs.”
