Former Cavs 6th man John 'Hot Rod' Williams dies at 53
John ''Hot Rod'' Williams, a popular sixth man with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1986-1995, died Friday at the age of 53.
His agent, Mark Bartelstein, said Williams died in a Baton Rouge hospital from complications related to prostate cancer.
Spoke with Mark Bartlestein agent for Hot Rod Williams. "No one loved being a Cav more. And no Cav was more beloved than Hot Rod" RIP
— john telich (@JohnTelich8) December 11, 2015
So sad to hear John "Hot Rod" Williams is no longer with us. Big man played with a lot of heart and I know his teammates loved him. RIP
— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) December 11, 2015
The 6-foot-11 Louisiana native played at Tulane, where he was the second all-time scorer in school history.
He spent his first nine NBA seasons with Cleveland, where he flourished as a backup to All-Star big men Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance, helping the team to seven playoff appearances.
In the 1989-90 season, Williams averaged 16.8 points - a career-high - and 8.1 rebounds in 33.9 minutes as a reserve.
After that season, the Miami Heat signed Williams to a seven-year, $26.5-million offer sheet which would have paid him double Michael Jordan's annual salary in the first year of the deal.
The Heat's proposed pact would have been an unprecedented, landmark contract at the time - especially considering Williams, a role player coming off the bench, had not made an All-Star team. However, the Cavs matched the offer and retained Williams for five more seasons.
Toward the end of his 13-year career, Williams played three seasons with the Phoenix Suns and finished with the Dallas Mavericks after the 1998-99 campaign.
Williams played in 887 NBA games, averaging 11 points and 6.8 rebounds.