Slick Watts
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 22, 1951 Rolling Fork, Mississippi |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
Henry Weather (Rolling Fork, Mississippi) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1973 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 1973–1979 |
| Position | Guard |
| Number | 13, 00, 14 |
| Career history | |
| 1973–1978 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1978 | New Orleans Jazz |
| 1978–1979 | Houston Rockets |
| 1980 | Anchorage Northern Knights |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Donald Earl "Slick" Watts (born July 22, 1951) is an American former basketball player.[1]
Watts was not selected by any team in the 1973 NBA draft, but his coach at Xavier University of Louisiana was a cousin of Bill Russell, who was the coach and general manager for the Seattle SuperSonics. Russell gave Watts a tryout, and he signed with the SuperSonics as a free agent. After making the roster for the 1973–74 season as a reserve, he played more frequently the following season and became a starter for the 1975–76 season.[2] That season, he led the NBA in total assists, assists per game, total steals, steals per game, and made NBA All-Defense First-Team.[1]
In 1976, Watts also received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his outstanding service to the community.[3]
Watts' career declined after 1976, however,[3] and he retired from the league after six seasons. He played 4½ years with the Sonics, half a season with the New Orleans Jazz, and one season with the Houston Rockets.[1]
He picked up the nickname "Slick" because he was one of the first players to shave his head, unusual at the time.
After his playing career, Watts became a physical education teacher at Dearborn Park elementary school and a basketball coach at Franklin High School in the Seattle area and took up tennis.[4] In 2001, Watts spent 22 days in a hospital with sarcoidosis, which caused his weight to drop by almost 50 pounds before his condition improved. Today he spends his days working as a physical educator at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary in Seattle.[5]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "Slick Watts". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ↑ "Watts Is Too Slick To Stay On SuperSonics' Bench Long". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. 1976-03-04. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- 1 2 Vescey, George (1987-02-08). "Sports Of The Times; The Youngest Old-Timer". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ↑ Weaver, Mike (1983-10-28). "Tennis helped 'Slick' Watts slide out of basketball". Tri City Herald. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ↑ Westneat, Danny (2004-11-26). "Still Slick on a different hardwood". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Basketball-Reference.com