Forgotten Wolves Friday: Micheal Williams

The Minnesota Timberwolves' "Forgotten Wolves Friday" series highlights Micheal Williams, a point guard whose career has become less remembered over time, especially by younger fans. Born in 1966, Williams played four seasons elsewhere before joining Minnesota. He won a championship as a rookie with Detroit (1988-89) and had a breakout season with Indiana in 1991-92, earning All-Defensive second team honors while averaging 8.2 assists and 2.9 steals.

Prior to the 1992-93 season, the Timberwolves acquired Williams (and Chuck Person) in a trade with the Pacers, sending Sam Mitchell and Pooh Richardson to Indiana. Williams immediately became Minnesota's starting point guard. In his first season with the team (1992-93), he averaged 15.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 2.2 steals.

Williams saw a slight decrease in playing time and averages during the 1993-94 season, though he still started 66 games and averaged 7.2 assists per game. Unfortunately, injuries severely limited his playing time thereafter. Over the next four seasons with Minnesota, he appeared in only 35 games, including missing the entire 1996-97 season due to foot and hamstring injuries. He was traded to Toronto in January 1999, played only two games for them, was released after the season, and never played in the NBA again.

Micheal Williams holds an NBA record for consecutive free throws made (97), achieved during his time with the Timberwolves. This streak spanned the final 15 games of the 1992-93 season and ended in the third game of the 1993-94 season. His 165 steals in 1992-93 rank third in Timberwolves single-season history, and his 661 assists that season rank sixth. Injuries derailed his career after his last healthy season at age 27 (1993-94), but he is recognized as providing some of the best point guard play in franchise history.