The NBA has seen a lot of great Nates: Hall of Fame big man Nate Thurmond, Hall of Fame PG Nate Archibald, and 3-time slam dunk champ Nate Robinson. 1 you might have overlooked is Nate Williams, who played for 8 years in the 1970s while averaging 1+ SPG and shooting over 80% at the FT line. His genes were not too shabby either, as his daughter Natalie became the 1st woman to be named an All-American in basketball and volleyball during the same year and was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Nate about making the 1970 Elite 8 and guarding some of the most legendary players in NBA history.
You are 1 of several McClymonds High School alumni who became pro athletes: which of the others were you closest to (Bill Russell/Paul Silas/Frank Robinson/other)? All of them were much older than I am so I was never teammates with any of them, but after I made it to the pros I got to play a little golf with Russell/Silas.
What made you choose Utah State for college? Assistant coach Dale Brown came to visit me when I was a sophomore: he thought that I was a senior because I made the all-tourney team! Another player named Phil Chenier made the all-tourney team as a sophomore.
As a sophomore you were named All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was kind of new to me because I never thought that I would go to college. When I started getting scholarship offers it was interesting because I thought that I could play college basketball for free…but they would only give you $15/month.
In 1 game against New Mexico State you scored 21 straight points for the Aggies: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? 1 of our guards (Jeff Tebbs) got hurt because New Mexico State was playing dirty. I told Coach Ladell Andersen to give me the ball every time we came down the court, and I just kept scoring.
In the 1970 NCAA tourney you made the Elite 8 and had 14 PTS/11 REB in a loss to eventual champion UCLA: what was it like to face John Wooden with a spot in the Final 4 on the line? The night before we played the Bruins I twisted my ankle badly and stayed up all night putting heat packs/ice on it just so I could walk. A lot of people said that if I was healthy then we probably could have won that game. We wanted to play a home-and-home series with UCLA but they refused to come to Utah.
In the fall of 1971 you were selected 1st overall in the NBA Hardship Draft: what did it mean to you to get drafted? It meant everything to me because I would finally get more than $15/month! 1 of the guys selected a few picks behind me was Phil Chenier: we played against each other during our high school days in northern California.
In 1974 (the 1st year that STL were tracked as a stat) your 149 STL was #12 in the league: what is the secret to being a great defender? I just tried to play hard and every now and then I would take the ball from the guy in front of me. I was usually able to get 1-2 SPG…but the following season I was traded to New Orleans.
During your 8 years as a pro you averaged more than 80 games/year (including an incredible 85 games in 1975): how crucial was your endurance to your success? I was in good shape. Whenever I came into the game I had to guard the best small forward or 2-guard on the other team: I defended some of the best players in the league like Oscar Robertson/Jerry West/Earl Monroe. My last year with Golden State I was the 3rd-leading scorer on the team but they cut me so they could get rid of my salary because I was an 8-year veteran making 6 figures.
In 2007 you were inducted into the Utah State Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I loved it! Some of my former coaches/teammates returned to campus for my induction, and all of my family were in attendance: it was such a pleasure.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? When I came into the league I would score 18-19 PPG…and then they started calling me “Instant Offense”!
