WFNY Roundtable: Kerfuffle in Brownstown
December 11, 2015Johnny, Be Good (Please): Browns – 49ers Preview
December 11, 2015The Cleveland Cavaliers lost one of their all-time great players and men on Friday. There are many ways in which to reflect upon the loss of John “Hot Rod” Williams to cancer at the too-young age of 53.
Second Corinthians 5:1 “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
One could reflect on his statistical excellence. Hot Rod was among the Cleveland Cavalier franchise leaders in blocks (2nd, 1200), steals (6th, 587), offensive rebounds (2nd, 1620), rebounds (3rd, 4669), and points (7th, 8504). He also was among the best in franchise history for many of the more advanced statistics such as Win Shares (5th, 58.3), Box Plus/Minus (9th, 2.0), and VORP1 (5th, 21.1). But, while reciting box score numbers might remind us of his value to those teams on the court, they fall empty when regarding his value to the fans, the team, and the communities he affected.
Ecclesiastes 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.
One could reflect on his journey within his career. On how a second-round draft pick wound up having such a long and fruitful NBA career. And, how a player who was best known for coming off the bench signed one of the richest contracts in basketball (at the time). Or, the reasons surrounding his fall into the second round. Hot Rod was forced to face adversity and persevere under trial when he was embroiled in a point-shaving scandal at Tulane University that ended with a self-imposed death penalty for the school and Hot Rod being acquitted of all charges. Hot Rod fought the rest of his adult life to restore his good name. Though the redemption he sought from the school (having his number retired) was never fulfilled, the good works of philanthropy and charitable acts restored his name to most everyone else.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.
One could reflect on what he meant to the fans of the Cavs. How he spent the first nine seasons of his career playing for Cleveland at Richfield Coliseum and living in Akron. How he was the most consistent component of the team for many children of the 80s. How he inspired ill-fated flat tops throughout Northeast Ohio through his non-stop motoring play and incredible smile. Despite the presence of Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Ron Harper, Larry Nance, and others, Williams was the most beloved player on an incredibly beloved team. Those Cavs might have never won a championship, but the community embraced them, and the team embraced the community back.
Romans 14:7-9 “For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”
One could reflect on his journey outside his career. On how a child born dirt-poor in Sorrento, LA made his way out of the area and signed that incredible contract. How that adult man turned down a $3.5 million bonus during his playing years in Cleveland because he did not want to uproot his son from the Akron, OH school he was attending. And, how that same man returned to live in Sorrento, LA upon his retirement to coach youth sports and give back to the community.
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted…”
Mourning can seem to be a bit of a selfish act as we cling so desperately to the happy memories in the past with the abject desire have them return to the present. Still, mourning is healthy and natural and needed. Those were good times, we do miss them, and the mourning is truly an appreciation those memories.
So, while we mourn our own memories, I pray we also take comfort in the man he became and the positive affect he had on so many people who are still among us.
R.I.P. “Hot Rod” Williams. We love you.
- Value Over Replacement Player [↩]
7 Comments
Will the Cavs as an organization being doing anything in honor of John Hot Rod Williams? I think it would be great if the team did something after all once a Cavaliers always a Cavalier right?
I always loved how Larry, Brad, and Hot Rod were all good ol’ boys from the south who loved stock cars, drag racing, and bass fishing.
they did a moment of silence for Stu Scott I am sure they’ll do right for a 10-year player
I would hope to see a #18 patch on all the uniforms going forward if the NBA allows. I suspect we’ll see a video from the Cavs too.
Hot Rod deserves all the honors. Such a great player and am even greater man.
I loved those Lenny Wilkins coached teams. Such fluidity and really smart team basketball. I never truly appreciated it until I moved to Charlotte in the mid 90’s and went to a Hornets / Knicks game with Allan Bristow trying to coach Larry Johnson and Pat Riley running Showtime 2.0. Oh that game was a complete mess, ball and bodies randomly flying all over the court.
Cant imagine a better sixth man than Hot Rod, and not just skllls, but his temperament and personality just fit that role perfectly. Rest in peace big man.
Hot Rod ROCKED!!!
Rest In Rhythm brother.
Man oh man, this is such tough news to digest. It breaks my heart because he was such a likable decent guy and he was so important to one of the best teams Cleveland ever produced. I always remember reading stories in the PD about his shoes (he used to wear his shoes out every few weeks), and how he would build styrofoam models of his dream house at home as a hobby. It was easy to like him. And what a decent human being he was.
The Cavs of that era are my all-time favorite Cleveland team. And he was just such a cool, interesting, friendly, openhearted dude. As much as none of them were “from” Cleveland, HR, Nance, Price, Daughtery, Ehlo, Sanders, Harper, were all adopted quickly by fans and the city. I wish basketball could go back to that time. Better team play, better shooting, better passing…And what luck that the Cavs amassed so many incredible players….sad to hear one of them has passed away so young.