Nate Williams

One collector is trying to find a single signature from every man who ever played for the Jazz — all 370 of them, from the 1974 New Orleans team to today. For many of them, this page is the only one on the internet. Here is Nate Williams: what he did on the floor, a few things most people never knew, and every card that carries his name. If you own something he signed — or you know who might — there is a note at the foot of this page.

History remembers the 6-foot-5 swingman from Utah State as the first name called in the NBA's 1971 hardship draft, a supplemental draft created for college underclassmen. He made the chance count: eight seasons with the Cincinnati Royals and Kansas City-Omaha Kings, the New Orleans Jazz, and the Golden State Warriors, totaling 7,709 career points.

His finest year came in 1973-74, when he averaged 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists for the Kings. The Louisiana-born guard's late-career stop with the Jazz came in the New Orleans years, before he closed out his NBA run in 1979.

HOW HE CAME & WENTKansas City traded him to New Orleans for Rick Adelman and Ollie Johnson on February 1, 1975. He played 222 games for the Jazz before going out in the January 1978 three-team deal that brought Slick Watts in.

Full name

Nathaniel Russell Williams

New Orleans Jazz tenure

1974–78

Position

Guard/Forward

Born

1950, Columbia, Louisiana

Height

6′5″ (196 cm)

Weight

216 lb (98 kg)

College

Utah State

Drafted

1971, supplemental hardship draft (No. 1), Cincinnati