Remembering “Super John” Williamson: 1951-1996
- Jake C
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Cover photo: John Williamson over the New York Nets drives the ball in an ABA game against the Spririts of St. Louis. Photo credit: Getty Images.
One of the great ABA scorers who was also one of the top scorers post-merger was born 74 years ago today.
“Super John” John Williamson was a 6 foot, 2 inch, 185-pound guard from New Haven, Connecticut who first was a 2-time state champion at Wilbur Cross High School who averaged 38.7 points per game as a senior. Included in his senior season was an upset win over John Thompson’s St. Anthony’s Catholic (Washington D.C.). The Governors won the game 74-66, with Williamson leading then with 36 points.
Williamson carried on his established penchant for scoring to New Mexico State, where he averaged 27.1 points per game (1st in the NCAA) in 1971-72. As a junior, in 1972-73, he averaged 27.2 points per game.
Taken in the sixth round (96th overall) in the 1973 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Williamson played his first three professional seasons in the ABA, prior to the 1976 merger.
Williamson averaged 14.5 points per game as a rookie with the New York Nets (49.1% shooting on 12.8 attempts per contest) in 1973-74, and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. The Nets went 55-29 under Kevin Loughery, and, led by league MVP Julius Erving (27.4 points per game), Billy Paultz, and Larry Kenon in addition to the rookie Williamson, defeated the Utah Stars in five games in the Finals. That team still stands as the youngest to win a professional basketball championship (the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers are the youngest NBA club to do so, followed by the 2024-25 Oklahoma City Thunder). The Net starting five, rounded out by Brian Taylor, was puppy-young, at 21 (Kenon), 22 (Williamson), 22 (Taylor), 24 (Erving), and 25 (Paultz) years of age.
In his second season, Williamson’s shot attempts decreased to 10.2 before they increased to 15.2 in his third campaign. In that third season, he made 45.0% of his attempts in 29.7 minutes (76 games), for an average of 16.2 points per game. The Nets won 55 games led by Erving once again and defeated the Denver Nuggets in six games in the ABA Finals. In the clinching Game 6, Williamson scored 28 points on 12-of-20 from the field in the 112-106 Nets’ victory.
Williamson split the 1976-77 season between the Nets (42 games) and Indiana Pacers (30 games). On an expiring contract, Williamson was not not affordable in New Jersey, hence the trade to the Pacers.
That season, he averaged 20.8 points on 45.9% shooting (18.7 attempts) in 34.5 minutes per game.
In 1977-78, Williamson averaged a career-high 23.7 points (43.8% shooting) in 36.4 minutes per game in 75 games, 38 starts. He averaged 19.1 points per game (42.1% shooting) in 34.5 minutes per game (42 games) with the Pacers, and in 33 games back with the Nets shot 45.4% on a career-high 25.9 attempts per night for an average of 29.5 points per game. This scoring run included twenty-six games of 30 or more points, and seven games of 40 or more points.
On Nov. 23, 1977 against the Golden State Warriors, Williamson, in 44 minutes, shot 18-of-34 from the field for 43 points. On Jan. 17, 1978 against the Chicago Bulls, he made 18-of-28 attempts in 39 minutes for 41 points. He then scored:
43 points (18-of-33 in 48 minutes) against the New York Knicks on Feb. 12
40 points (14-of-40 in 46 minutes) against the Buffalo Braves on March 4. The 40 field-goal attempts set a franchise record.
42 points (18-of-34 in 39 minutes) against the Denver Nuggets on March 17
40 points (15-of-35 in 44 minutes) against the Atlanta Hawks on April 2
These outings preceded a 50-point outburst (19-of-32, 12-of-13 from the line, in 44 minutes) on April 4 in a 129-121 win against the Pacers.
Prior to the Pacer game, Williamson’s question to Pacer publicity director Lee Daniel was if anyone had ever scored 50 points at Market Square Arena. No one had, until later that night when Williamson accomplished the feat.
For the 1978-79 season, Williamson averaged over 20 points per game (22.2 on 46.5% from the field) for the final time in his career. He played in 74 games, 33.1 minutes per game, and shot 18.5 attempts per contest. Williamson averaged 14.6 points in the 1979-80 season over 58 games (28 with the Nets and 30 with the Washington Bullets). He played just nine games with the Bullets in his final season of 1980-81.
Williamson played an average of 30.1 minutes per game in his professional career and averaged 17.5 points per game on 45.8% shooting (15.8 attempts), with his best years coming as a member of the Nets. He scored 9,017 career points, and was also a capable free-throw shooter throughout his career, making 82.6% of his attempts.
In his five NBA seasons, Williamson registered 20.1 points per game on 44.9% shooting (18.2 attempts). He scored over 30 points in a playoff game twice, the first coming in Game 4 of the 1976 ABA Semifinal against the San Antonio Spurs, when he made 14-of-26 shots for 31 points. The second such occasion came on April 11, 1979, when against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their first round series he shot 14-of-28 and made 10-of-12 free-throws for 38 points in 46 minutes. Those 38 playoff points stood as a Net franchise record until 1992, when Drazen Petrovic scored 40 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of their first round playoff series. On Dec. 9, 1978 in a game against the San Diego Clippers, Williamson, in scoring 48 points in a 125-120 Net win, made 22-of-24 free-throws, which set a franchise record for free-throw makes in a game. Williamson also set the Nets’ postseason record for attempts in a game in Game 2 of the 1979 first round against the 76ers. He attempted 34 shots in the game, which was the final playoff game of his career. Williamson is a member of both the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame and New Mexico State Athletics Hall of Fame, inducted in 1974.
On Nov. 30, 1996, Williamson, at the too young age of 45, passed away due to kidney failure. He had undergone dialysis treatment in the eight years prior.
Said Lou Carnesseca, Nets’ head coach from 1970-73, upon Williamson’s passing:
“You couldn’t stop him. He was so strong and had such great tenacity. He was small, but he could score on practically anyone.''
Williamson’s No. 23, retired by the Nets on Dec. 7, 1990, is one of seven retired jerseys in the history of the Nets’ franchise. Along with Julius Erving and Bill Melchionni, Williamson is one of three ABA-era Nets to have their jerseys retired by the franchise. Wendell Ladner, a former Net forward who passed away in a plane crash in 1975, had his No. 4 jersey posthumously retired and unworn until 1992. The other retired Nets’ jerseys are Petrovic’s No. 3, Jason Kidd’s No. 5, Vince Carter’s No. 15, and Buck Williams’ No. 52.
Williamson was a smaller player whose compact build made him one of the most electric players in what was an electric league. His greatness has a firm place in ABA and Nets’ history.
On his birthday, we remember the super player that was John Williamson.
I grew up in New Haven and I was privileged to see Super John’s high school career. Back in the day N. Haven hosted an annual Xmas holiday event with the 3 local schools and the top NYC schools, Dewitt Clinton Boys High et al.. During Super John’s St season he was double team the entire game and spent most of the game at half court a a docoy accupying 2 defenders and still scored 27 pts in a win. That was the beginning of the Super John lore. Thank you for honoring his accomplishments.