Editing Slick Watts

{{Short description|American basketball player (1951–2025)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Slick Watts
| image = Slick Watts.png
| width = 
| caption = Watts {{circa|1977}}
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lb = 175
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|07|22}}
| birth_place = [[Rolling Fork, Mississippi]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|3|15|1951|7|22}}
| death_place = 
| high_school = Henry Weather<br/>(Rolling Fork, Mississippi)
| college = 
* [[Grand View Vikings men's basketball|Grand View]] (1969–1970)
* [[Xavier Gold Rush basketball|Xavier (Louisiana)]] (1970–1973)
| draft_year = 1973
| career_start = 1973
| career_end = 1981
| career_position = [[Point guard]]
| career_number = 13, 14, 00
| years1 = {{nbay|1973|start}}–{{nbay|1977|end}}
| team1 = [[Seattle SuperSonics]]
| years2 = {{nbay|1977|end}}
| team2 = [[New Orleans Jazz (NBA team)|New Orleans Jazz]]
| years3 = {{nbay|1978|full=y}}
| team3 = [[Houston Rockets]]
| years4 = 1980–1981
| team4 = [[Anchorage Northern Knights]]
| highlights =
* [[NBA All-Defensive First Team]] ({{nbay|1975|end}})
* [[List of National Basketball Association annual assists leaders|NBA assists leader]] ({{nbay|1975|end}})
* [[List of National Basketball Association annual steals leaders|NBA steals leader]] ({{nbay|1975|end}})
* [[J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award]] ({{nbay|1975|end}})
| stats_league    = NBA
| stat1label      = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value      = 3,901 (8.9 ppg)
| stat2label      = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value      = 1,398 (3.2 rpg)
| stat3label      = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value      = 2,678 (6.1 apg)
}}

'''Donald Earl''' "'''Slick'''" '''Watts''' (July 22, 1951 – March 15, 2025) was an American professional [[basketball]] player in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA).<ref name="br">{{cite web|title=Slick Watts|publisher=Basketball-Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wattssl01.html|access-date=April 19, 2010}}</ref> Playing with the [[Seattle SuperSonics]] in 1976, he became the first player to lead the league in both [[assist (basketball)|assists]] and [[steal (basketball)|steals]].  He remained a favorite of Sonics fans after his basketball career.

==Early life==
Watts was born on July 22, 1951, in [[Rolling Fork, Mississippi]]. His father was a mechanic and his mother was a teacher.<ref name=traub_03162025/> When Watts was 13, a [[American football|football]] injury damaged his scalp, causing his hair to grow in unusual patches. This led him to shave his head.<ref name=obit/>

==College career==
Watts attended [[Grand View Junior College]] before transferring to [[Xavier University of Louisiana]] in 1970, where he played college basketball for three years under coach [[Bob Hopkins]], and alongside future [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] player [[Bruce Seals]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 1, 1970 |title='Slick' Picked Player of the Month |pages=8 |work=Xavier Herald Newspaper |url= https://xula.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16948coll14/id/4429/rec/2 |via= oclc.org| access-date=July 13, 2022}}</ref>

For the 1971{{ndash}}72 season, Watts and Seals led the [[Xavier Gold Rush basketball|Gold Rush]] to its first NAIA District 30 Men's Basketball championship, defeating [[Nicholls Colonels men's basketball|Nicholls State]] 85–83, before losing to [[Westmont Warriors|Westmont]] in the [[1972 NAIA basketball tournament]] semi-finals 71–59.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=NAIA District 30 Men's Basketball – Varsity Pride|url=http://www.jonfmorse.com/wiki/index.php?title=NAIA_District_30_Men%27s_Basketball|access-date=January 14, 2021|website= jonfmorse.com}}</ref>

During his final season, Watts led the Gold Rush to their second consecutive [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] District 30 Championship, defeating [[Dillard Bleu Devils and Lady Bleu Devils|Dillard]] 101–80.<ref name=":0" /> In the [[1973 NAIA basketball tournament]] Watts and his teammates upset [[Sam Houston State Bearkats men's basketball|Sam Houston State]], 67–60, in the second round. At the time, the Bearkats were ranked first in the country in all college division polls and had gone 34 games, over a two-year period, without a loss. Xavier eventually lost in the semi-finals to [[Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks men's basketball|Maryland-Eastern Shore]] 87–80.

==NBA career==
Watts was not selected in the [[1973 NBA draft]], though he was chosen by the [[Memphis Sounds|Memphis Tams]] in the second round of the [[American_Basketball_Association_draft#1973_ABA_supplemental_draft|1973 ABA supplemental draft]].<ref name=cbs>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/former-sonics-guard-seattle-fan-favorite-slick-watts-dies-at-73/|title=Former Sonics guard, Seattle fan favorite Slick Watts dies at 73
|work=CBS Sports|date=March 16, 2025|first=Sam|last=Quinn}}</ref> However, Watts' college coach at [[Xavier University of Louisiana|Xavier University]], [[Bob Hopkins]], was a cousin of NBA legend [[Bill Russell]], who at the time was the coach and general manager for the [[Seattle SuperSonics]].<ref name=obit/> Russell gave Watts a tryout and signed him as a rookie free agent.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 1, 1973 |title=Donald "Slick" Watts Makes Sonics Roster |pages=6 |work=Xavier Herald Newspaper |url=https://xula.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16948coll14/id/4553 |access-date=July 14, 2022}}</ref>

Despite coming off the bench, Watts led the Sonics in assists per game (5.7) as a rookie in 1973–74. His playing time increased the next season, as Watts led the franchise to its first playoff berth.<ref name="traub_03162025" /> On February 21, 1975, Watts recorded his first career [[triple-double]] with 12 points, 10 [[rebound (basketball)|rebounds]], and 11 [[assist (basketball)|assists]], while adding four [[steal (basketball)|steals]], in a 110–108 win over the [[Atlanta Hawks]].<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=slick+watts+first+triple-double | title= Slick Watts First Career Triple Double| website= statmuse.com| publisher= | date= | access-date= }}</ref> Two days later, Watts recorded a career-high nine steals, while also scoring 13 points and adding 14 assists, during a 114–100 loss to the [[Philadelphia 76ers]].<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/slick-watts-career-high-steals |title= Slick Watts Career High 9 Steals| website= statmuse.com| publisher= | date= | access-date= }}</ref> 

After signing a three-year, $100,000 contract, Watts became a starter for the 1975–76 season,<ref>{{cite news|title=Watts Is Too Slick To Stay On SuperSonics' Bench Long|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|agency=Associated Press|date=March 4, 1976|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FwAkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JmcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4754,1329770|access-date=April 19, 2010}}</ref> and would go on to lead the NBA in total assists, assists per game, total steals, and steals per game, while making the [[NBA All-Defensive First Team]]. He was the first player to lead the NBA in assists and steals in the same season.<ref name="br" /><ref name=cbs/> In 1976, Watts' energetic playing style, unique look, and rapport with the fans led ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' to call him "the most popular athlete ever to perform in the state of Washington".<ref name= nifty>{{Cite magazine|first=John|last=Papanek|date=February 23, 1976 |title=Slick's His Name—And His Game: Seattle's nifty guard would be a shoo-in in a popularity contest, too |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1976/02/23/slicks-his-nameand-his-game |url-status=live |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}</ref> He also received the [[J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award]] for his outstanding service to the community.<ref name="youngest">{{cite news|last=Vescey|first=George|title=Sports Of The Times; The Youngest Old-Timer|work= The New York Times|date=February 8, 1987|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/08/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-youngest-old-timer.html|access-date=April 19, 2010}}</ref>  Watts followed with another productive year in the 1976–77 season, averaging 8.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game.<ref name="br"/>

At the start of the 1977–78 season, Watts was re-united with Hopkins, who was hired as the Sonics' new head coach. But Hopkins was fired after a 5–17 start, and new coach [[Lenny Wilkens]] made some lineup changes, one of which was to replace Watts with [[Dennis Johnson]]. Watts was eventually traded mid-season to the [[New Orleans Jazz (NBA team)|New Orleans Jazz]] for a first-round draft pick.<ref name=traub_03162025>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/obituaries/slick-watts-dead.html|title=Slick Watts, N.B.A. Fan Favorite and Headband Pioneer, Dies at 73|work=The New York Times|date=March 16, 2025|first=Alex|last=Traub}}</ref>

Watts did not play again in the NBA after the 1978–79 season. He played {{frac|4|1|2}} years with the Sonics, half a season with the [[New Orleans Jazz (NBA team)|New Orleans Jazz]], and one season with the [[Houston Rockets]].<ref name="br"/>

In December 1980, Watts joined the [[Anchorage Northern Knights]] of the [[Continental Basketball Association]] (CBA) with the intent of making it back to the NBA.<ref>{{cite news |title=Slick Watts tries basketball return |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-oregonian-slick-watts-tries-b/170788904/ |access-date=April 21, 2025 |work=The Sunday Oregonian |date=December 14, 1980 |page=123 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He averaged 2.3 points and 2.7 assists in 7 games played.<ref>{{cite web |title=Slick Watts minor league basketball statistics |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbasketball/stats/p-wattssli001 |website=Stats Crew |access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref> Watts departed the team without notice in January 1981 which caused the CBA to issue a release titled "Has Anyone Seen Slick Watts" that urged anyone who saw Watts to inform him that he had been waived.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Landen |first1=Bill |title=Bradley, Cowboys attracting big-time attention |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune-bradley-cowboys-att/170789182/ |access-date=April 21, 2025 |work=Casper Star-Tribune |date=January 14, 1981 |page=9 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Northern Knights head coach [[Bill Klucas]] commented after Watts' departure: "Slick couldn't play a lick."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=Don |title=Doin' the Continental |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-doin-the-continental/170789342/ |access-date=April 21, 2025 |work=Daily News |date=January 30, 1981 |page=146 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

He gained the nickname "Slick" because he was one of the first players to shave his head, unusual at the time.<ref name= traub_03162025/>  In 1974, ''[[The News Tribune]]'' wrote, "In this day of long hair, Watts is a very unusual person".<ref name= traub_03162025/> He was also known for wearing his headband off-center.<ref name="nba obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/news/sonics-legend-slick-watts-passes-away|title=Former Sonic and Seattle fixture Donald 'Slick' Watts passes away at 73|work=NBA.com|date=March 15, 2025}}</ref>

==NBA career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend|leader=y}}

===Regular season===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{Nbay|1973}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1973–74 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 62 || – || 23.0 || .388 || – || '''.645''' || 2.9 || 5.7 || 1.9 || 0.2 || 8.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1974}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1974–75 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| '''82''' || – || 25.1 || .421 || – || .608 || 3.2 || 6.1 || 2.3 || 0.1 || 6.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1975}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1975–76 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| '''82''' || – || '''33.9''' || '''.427''' || – || .578 || '''4.5''' ||style="background:#cfecec;"| '''8.1*''' ||style="background:#cfecec;"| '''3.2*''' || 0.2 || '''13.0'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1976}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1976–77 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 79 || – || 33.3 || .422 || – || .587 || 3.9 || 8.0 || 2.7 || 0.3 || '''13.0'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1977}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1977–78 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
| 32 || – || 25.3 || .404 || – || .566 || 2.5 || 4.2 || 1.7 || '''0.4''' || 7.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1977}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1977–78 New Orleans Jazz season|New Orleans]]
| 39 || – || 19.9 || .381 || – || .602 || 2.5 || 4.1 || 1.4 || '''0.4''' || 7.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1978}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1978–79 Houston Rockets season|Houston]]
| 61 || – || 17.1 || .405 || – || .612 || 1.7 || 4.0 || 1.2 || 0.2 || 3.7
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career<ref name="br"/>
| 437 || – || 26.3 || .413 || – || .597 || 3.2 || 6.1 || 2.2 || 0.3 || 8.9
{{s-end}}

===Playoffs===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1975 NBA Playoffs|1975]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1974-75 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
|'''9'''||–||31.3||'''.462'''||–||.538||'''3.7'''||7.1||'''3.0'''||0.4||11.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1976 NBA Playoffs|1976]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1975-76 Seattle SuperSonics season|Seattle]]
|6||–||'''32.8'''||.435||–||.478||3.0||'''8.2'''||2.0||0.3||'''11.8'''
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1979 NBA Playoffs|1979]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1978-79 Houston Rockets season|Houston]]
|2||–||21.5||.400||–||'''.667'''||3.5||3.5||2.0||'''0.5'''||7.0
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career<ref name="br"/>
| 17 || – || 30.7 || .446 || – || .519 || 3.4 || 7.1 || 2.5 || 0.4 || 10.9
{{s-end}}

==Later years==
[[File:Seafair King Slick Watts and Miss Seafair Veronica Asence knighting Seattle City Council member Jean Godden, 2012 (54426615093).jpg|thumb|upright|Watts as [[Seafair]] King, granting a "knighthood" to Seattle City Council member [[Jean Godden]], 2012.]]
After his playing career, Watts became a [[physical education]] teacher at Dearborn Park Elementary School and High Point Elementary School. He coached basketball at [[Franklin High School (Seattle)|Franklin High School]] in the Seattle area and took up tennis.<ref>{{cite news|last=Weaver|first=Mike|title=Tennis helped 'Slick' Watts slide out of basketball|work=Tri City Herald|date= October 28, 1983|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vl0hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A4YFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4419,7592388|access-date=April 19, 2010}}</ref> 

He ended his post-basketball career teaching physical education for nearly 20 years at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary (formerly named Brighton Elementary) in Seattle before retiring in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jenks|first=Jayson|title=Slick Watts at 65: Forever a Sonic, famously accessible|work=The Seattle Times|date=May 17, 2017|url=http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/slick-watts-at-65-forever-a-sonic-famously-accessible/|access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref> 

Despite a somewhat short tenure with the SuperSonics, Watts remained a fan favorite.<ref name= nifty /><ref name= traub_03162025/> He was named to the Sonics' 40th anniversary team before they moved to [[Oklahoma City Thunder|Oklahoma City]].<ref name=obit/> The Seattle rap duo [[Blue Scholars]] named a song about the SuperSonics after him.<ref name=traub_03162025/> Watts was a staple at Seattle sporting events, attending SuperSonics and [[Seattle Storm]] games. "Slick was a champion for the Storm and a beloved member of the Seattle community”, wrote the Storm organization.<ref name=cbs/> ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' called him "an ambassador of Seattle basketball" and "a generational figure in the Seattle hoops scene".<ref name=obit/>

==Personal life and demise==
Watts' sons both played college basketball, Tony at [[Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball|Mississippi State]] from 1988–92 and Donald at the [[University of Washington]] from 1995–99. A grandson, Isaiah, currently plays at [[Washington State Cougars men's basketball|Washington State]], and a granddaughter, Jadyn, plays at [[Western Washington Vikings|Western Washington]].<ref name="traub_03162025" />

Watts dealt with [[sarcoidosis]], an inflammation of the lungs.<ref name=traub_03162025/> In 2001, Watts spent 22 days in a hospital with sarcoidosis, which caused his weight to drop by almost {{cvt|50|lb}} before his condition improved. In April 2021, three months before his 70th birthday, Watts suffered a major [[stroke]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stone |first1=Larry |title= Sending positive thoughts to Sonics great Slick Watts, who has 'long road to recovery' after stroke |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nba/sending-positive-thoughts-to-sonics-great-slick-watts-who-has-long-road-to-recovery-after-stroke/ |access-date=April 14, 2021 |work=The Seattle Times |date=April 13, 2021}}</ref> He died on March 15, 2025, at the age of 73.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sonics/sonics-legend-slick-watts-dies-at-73/|title=Sonics legend Slick Watts dies at 73|work=The Seattle Times|date=March 15, 2025|first=Tim|last=Booth| access-date= }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of NBA single-game steals leaders]]
* [[List of NBA single-season steals per game leaders]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{basketballstats|bbr=w/wattssl01}}

{{NBA assists leaders}}
{{NBA steals leaders}}
{{J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Slick}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Anchorage Northern Knights players]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Mississippi]]
[[Category:Grand View Vikings men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Houston Rockets players]]
[[Category:Memphis Tams draft picks]]<!--1973 ABA Supplemental Draft-->
[[Category:New Orleans Jazz players]]
[[Category:People from Rolling Fork, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Point guards]]
[[Category:Seattle SuperSonics players]]
[[Category:Street basketball players]]
[[Category:Undrafted NBA players]]
[[Category:Xavier Gold Rush basketball players]]