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RIP Slick Watts
Posted on 3/16/25 at 10:30 pm
Posted on 3/16/25 at 10:30 pm
I actually am in Seattle visiting family and Slick’s obit was the lead story on A1 in the Seattle Times. That’s a name from the past in an era that IMO was a lot more fun to watch than today’s NBA.
Slick stayed in Seattle and became a beloved part of the community, taught elementary school PE for 20 years. And he died during the weekend when a bunch of the old Sonics were in town for a tribute to Gus Williams who died in January.
That Sonics team with Slick and Gus, Downtown Freddie Brown, DJ, Jack Sikma and Paul Silas were gamers.
Slick stayed in Seattle and became a beloved part of the community, taught elementary school PE for 20 years. And he died during the weekend when a bunch of the old Sonics were in town for a tribute to Gus Williams who died in January.
That Sonics team with Slick and Gus, Downtown Freddie Brown, DJ, Jack Sikma and Paul Silas were gamers.
This post was edited on 3/16/25 at 10:32 pm
2
Posted on 3/16/25 at 11:11 pm to InkStainedWretch
Fun player to watch back in the day. Rest in peace.
>
Guarding Doug Collins
Driving on Bill Walton
Drving on Kareem
> Guarding Doug Collins
Driving on Bill Walton
Drving on Kareem
Posted on 3/16/25 at 11:25 pm to NorthEndZone
Played at Xavier of Louisiana and wasn’t even drafted, but his coach at Xavier was Bill Russell’s cousin, Russell was coaching Seattle then, and called in a favor and got Russell to give him a tryout and he made the team. First player in NBA history to lead the league in assists and steals in the same season. I remember and the photos verify that he played a lot taller than 6-1.
Posted on 3/16/25 at 11:47 pm to NorthEndZone
i like his uniform style 
Posted on 3/17/25 at 3:16 am to SirWinston
I was in elementary school during his era, and EVERYONE wanted to "be" Slick Watts when playing hoops at recess.
Posted on 3/17/25 at 5:08 am to InkStainedWretch
quote:
Played at Xavier of Louisiana and wasn’t even drafted, but his coach at Xavier was Bill Russell’s cousin, Russell was coaching Seattle then, and called in a favor and got Russell to give him a tryout and he made the team. First player in NBA history to lead the league in assists and steals in the same season. I remember and the photos verify that he played a lot taller than 6-1.
Stories like this always make me smile. RIP.
Posted on 3/17/25 at 7:26 am to Honest Tune
Also a member of the New Orleans Jazz. Had the unfortunate timing to be traded to New Orleans in the middle of the '77-78 season when the Sonics ended up making the finals, and then winning it all the next season while he was ending his career in Houston.
Posted on 3/17/25 at 7:35 am to Domeskeller
Those Jazz uniforms are so… Slick!
Posted on 3/17/25 at 9:31 am to InkStainedWretch
quote:
That’s a name from the past in an era that IMO was a lot more fun to watch than today’s NBA.
Great post, all of our heroes are passing or at the very least don’t look very heroic anymore.
quote:
In January 1978, Watts was traded to the New Orleans Jazz for a 1981 first-round draft pick. He later compared the trade to a divorce or the death of a family member.
Grew up a Kansas City Kings fan and my best friend’s dad had season tickets, so we practically lived at Kemper Arena during the winter. When there was only the NBA games of the week broadcast on Sat./Sun. & ESPN was in its infancy, these guys were like gods when they’d roll into town. Seattle may as well have been in mainland China to a kid from KC, but when Dr.J, Kareem, Bill Walton, the Celtics etc. rolled into town Kemper would be sold out.
Was there the night Chocolate Thunder brought it all down, sweet memories.
Posted on 3/17/25 at 10:29 am to Boomdaddy65201
Watts spent many years teaching PE at various Seattle schools. Never met the man, but he was truly beloved and had a smile for everyone. His son played hoops at the U-dub.
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