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.[5]
See also
References
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- Career statistics and player information from NBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). and Basketball-Reference.com
- Career statistics and player information from WNBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). and Basketball-Reference.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
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- Pages with reference errors
- 1951 births
- Living people
- African-American basketball players
- Basketball players from Mississippi
- Houston Rockets players
- Junior college men's basketball players in the United States
- New Orleans Jazz players
- People from Sharkey County, Mississippi
- Seattle SuperSonics players
- Street basketball players
- Undrafted National Basketball Association players
- Xavier Gold Rush basketball players
