NEW ORLEANS — John "Hot Rod" Williams, a popular sixth man with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1986 to 1995, has died. He was 53.
He died Friday in a Baton Rouge hospital from complications related to prostate cancer, Williams' agent, Mark Bartelstein, said.
He was "obviously a guy who could have started for many teams but had a role as a sixth man in Cleveland and was loved by his teammates," Bartelstein said. "Those were special teams and the only thing that stopped them from winning a championship was probably Michael Jordan."
The 6-foot-11 Williams was a key player for the 1988-89 Cavs, who went 57-25 during the regular season, only to be eliminated by Jordan's last-second jump shot in Game 5 of the first-round series.