Kelly Williams

Kelly Williams (born February 7, 1982) is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA.

He played collegiate basketball at Oakland University, an NCAA Division I school in the United States, and he also represented the Philippines in international competitions.

Williams was born in Detroit, Michigan to an American father and a Filipina mother.

He is the youngest of three children.

His father died of cancer at the age of 69 when he was seven years old.

He attended Martin Luther King High School where he played in the Detroit PSL basketball league.

As a senior, Williams was the co-captain of the team.

He was named an all-district and all-state player as he averaged 35 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, three steals, and two assists per contest.

During that time, the Crusaders were ranked in the state as high as number one, and was only defeated in the semi-final round of the state championships.

During his rookie season, he normed averages of 17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds earning him the Rookie of the Year award, making him the second Realtor to do so after Jun Limpot in 1993.

He defeated Santos for the award.

His play also transformed Sta.

Lucia, as they became known as one of the elites of the PBA.

Williams completed high school in 2000.

During his four years, Martin Luther King had a 68–16 win-loss record.

He also finished as a two-time all-league honoree.

Williams was recruited to play for De La Salle in the Philippines.

He chose to stay close to home, and attended Oakland University for four years, with the highlight of his career coming in his freshman year when the Grizzlies upset the University of Michigan.

After displaying skills in exhibition games with the Philippine Team, he caught the attention of Filipino basketball aficionados.

Hence, he did not disappoint as he averaged 17.1 points and 12.8 rebounds during his stint with the Philippine Basketball League's (PBL) Magnolia.

With him, Magnolia won the 2005–06 Heroes' Cup.

Williams then applied for the 2006 PBA Draft.

When the Realtors took the first overall draft right, they did not hesitate to pick him over two-time UAAP MVP and Arwind Santos, who was later picked second overall by the Air21 Express.

The decision shocked many fans, as Sta.

Lucia used to have a no Fil-Am policy.

Santos was also his teammate in their time in the PBL.

In his sophomore year, he improved his game immensely, helping his team win their second championship overall in the 2007–08 Philippine Cup against the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants while also winning Best Player of the Conference over once again, Santos.

The award made him the first Realtor to do so.

That championship would turn out to be the franchise's last.

He also won that season's Slam Dunk Contest and was an All-Star.

He finished the season with the league's Most Valuable Player award, garnering 2,762 votes over Santos' 1,775, and also was named to the All-Defensive Team.

During the 2008–09 Philippine Cup, Williams had a double-double of 17 points and 18 rebounds in a win over Red Bull.

He missed some games after being poked in the eye by Jay-R Reyes of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

The team failed however to defend their Philippine Cup championship, as they finished in 3rd place.

He was one of the candidates for that conference's Best Player award.

During the 2009 All-Star Week, he was diagnosed with thrombocytopenia and was out for the remaining games of the entire conference and the All-Star game.

He also was unable to defend his Slam Dunk title.

With his absence, his team did not last long and was eliminated by the Burger King Whoppers before the semis.

The Realtors helped pay for Williams' treatment, despite it not being a work-related illness and with his contract expiring.

He kept battling the disease and was eventually able to return to the court in the 2009–10 Philippine Cup.