NBA great Gus Williams, who led Sonics to lone championship, dead at 71

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Two-time NBA All-Star Gus Williams, who led the Seattle SuperSonics to the franchise’s only NBA championship, has died. He was 71. 

Williams’ death comes nearly five years after he suffered a debilitating stroke. According to The Seattle Times, his cause of death was not immediately known, but he was living in a care facility in Baltimore at the time of his death. 

Gus Williams of the Seattle Sonics moves the ball up court against the Celtics during in 1978 at the Boston Garden. (Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)

Longtime sports writer Peter Vecsey reported Thursday that Williams’ brother said the former basketball player’s body "simply broke down" over the last few days. He also confirmed that the funeral will be held in Mount Vernon, New York – Williams’ hometown. 

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Williams was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 1975 NBA Draft. He would go on to earn NBA All-Rookie Team honors that year and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting that season. 

He played two seasons with the Warriors before signing in 1977 with the Sonics, where he would quickly make a name for himself as one of the most dynamic guards of his time. 

The former USC standout led the Sonics to their only championship title in 1979 when he averaged a team-high of 26.7 points during the playoffs. 

Gus Williams of the Seattle Supersonics dribbles the ball against the Washington Bullets circa 1981 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Williams played for the Supersonics from 1977-84. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

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