Lou Williams has officially announced his retirement from professional basketball. In a video posted on YouTube on Sunday, the 17-year veteran shared the news with his fans.
Williams was selected in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Throughout his career, he established himself as a prominent figure both on and off the court, particularly known for his scoring prowess as a key player coming off the bench.
Over the course of his career, Williams never started more than 38 games in a single season, according to Bleacher Report.
He holds the distinction of being one of only two players in NBA history, alongside Jamal Crawford, to have won the Sixth Man of the Year award three times. Williams achieved this feat between 2015 and 2019.
In the past two seasons, the Tennessee native showcased his shooting skills by maintaining a three-point shooting percentage of 38.5%.
Throughout his career, Williams played for seven different teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, and Houston Rockets. He ended his career with the Hawks following a trade from the Clippers in March 2021.
During his appearance on Brick by Brick in February, Williams expressed his readiness for retirement, stating that he embraced the idea and had the freedom to make that decision whenever he saw fit.
Although he never won an NBA championship, Williams had the opportunity to compete in the playoffs 12 times. He was part of the Hawks team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2020-21 season.
In a total of 1,123 regular-season games, Williams maintained averages of 13.9 points and 3.4 assists per game.
