[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 185 (Friday, December 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1823]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JOHN ``HOT ROD'' WILLIAMS

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                        HON. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 18, 2015

  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of John 
``Hot Rod'' Williams, a prolific professional basketball player and 
Louisiana native. Mr. Williams passed away on December 11, 2015, at the 
age of 53.
   Mr. Williams was born on August 9, 1962 in Sorrento, Louisiana. His 
family gave him the nickname Hot Rod for the engine-like sounds he made 
when he moved about as a baby. As a rising athlete, he played 
basketball at St. Amant High School before signing with Tulane 
University.
   While playing at Tulane, Mr. Williams was a three-time All-Metro 
Conference selection, averaging 16 points and seven rebounds. As a 
junior in 1984, Mr. Williams was the Metro Conference Player of the 
Year. Mr. Williams remains fourth in Tulane's career scoring with 1,841 
points and second in 20-point games with 36.
   In 1986, Mr. Williams joined the Cleveland Cavaliers where he was 
named to the All-Rookie team for the 1986-87 season. He would spend his 
first nine NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, averaging 11 points and 6.8 
rebounds for his career. Mr. Williams was a central figure for the 
1988-89 Cavaliers team, which went 57-25 during the regular season, 
where Michael Jordan's famous last-second jump shot in Game 5 
eliminated them in the first-round series. Mr. Williams concluded his 
13-year professional career playing with the Phoenix Suns and Dallas 
Mavericks.
   An active member of the National Basketball Retired Players 
Association, Mr. Williams loved the game of basketball and always tried 
to give back. Described as a kid from a small town in Louisiana who 
never changed, the Cavaliers team remembers the basketball star as a 
``talented, unselfish, and versatile player and person that earned the 
respect of everyone around him.'' The Suns described Mr. Williams as a 
``humble and gracious man, willing to share his time and fun-loving 
nature with anyone.''
   Mr. Williams may have lost his fight to cancer but his spirit will 
remain a part of the Sorrento community. Stories like his will show 
generations of Americans the impact of genuine personality and hard 
work.
   Mr. Speaker, I celebrate the life and legacy of Mr. Williams, a 
beloved father and example to aspiring athletes everywhere.

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