BIO: Brad Williams was born in Sydney (NSW) and began playing basketball as a junior with the Sutherland basketball program. Williams was a athletic forward, able to take the ball to the rack and a very reliable defender during his playing career. Williams received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1992. He spent two years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1992, 1993).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Brad Williams made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 18 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.

After finishing 11th with an 11-15 record and missing the playoffs the previous season, Sydney reshaped its roster while retaining Damian Keogh, Greg Hubbard, Dean Uthoff, Mark Dalton, Tim Morrissey and Jody Austin. After three seasons together, coach Bob Turner chose not to re-sign import duo Dwayne McClain and Ken McClary and looked for younger talent, while Tony De Ambrosis (to Gold Coast), Wayne Womack, James Carr, John Blake and Mike Kenny also did not return.

Turner signed Mario Donaldson (via Omaha) after spotting him during Omaha’s 1993 CBA championship season and paired him with Leon Trimmingham (via Briar Cliff), a relatively unknown forward who had been recommended by former Hobart coach Dr David Atkins. Neil Turner (via Hobart) was added alongside local Sutherland product Brad Williams (via Australian Institute of Sport), who joined the Kings after spending the previous two seasons with the AIS state league program.

Sydney opened the season at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on April 9, where Williams (2 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist) made his NBL debut as Trimmingham (32 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) and Donaldson (28 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks) powered the Kings to a 110-100 win over South East Melbourne, while Bruce Bolden (25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists) led the Magic. The victory began a 3-0 start for Sydney.

Williams (2.6 points across 24 games) was used in a reserve role during his rookie season, appearing in 21 of Sydney’s 26 regular-season games before playing in all three playoff games. No injury was reported during the season.

Williams’ best game came against Newcastle at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on September 16, where Williams (12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) made 6-of-7 shots from the field as Sydney defeated the Falcons 116-94. Trimmingham (27 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) and Dalton (19 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) provided the main support as the Kings collected their second consecutive win.

Sydney reached the halfway mark at 8-3 and looked like a championship contender, but the lack of experience among the young roster began to show and the Kings went 8-7 over the remainder of the regular season, narrowly scraping into the playoffs in seventh place with a 16-10 record.

Trimmingham (27.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.2 blocks) led Sydney in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, won the Kings’ club MVP award and earned All-NBL First Team honours. Donaldson (22.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals) and Hubbard (18.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.2 steals) provided the additional scoring, while Keogh (11.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.9 steals), Uthoff (8.3 points and 9.3 rebounds) and Dalton (8.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals) completed Sydney’s main rotation.

Sydney entered the quarterfinals against second-placed North Melbourne as decided underdogs after the Giants had defeated the Kings in both regular-season meetings. Game one was played at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on September 26, where Williams (3 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) played more than 26 minutes as Sydney exploded to an 11-0 lead inside the opening 71 seconds against a North Melbourne side playing its third road game in four days. The Kings led 43-25 after the first quarter and 77-51 at halftime before winning 131-109 in front of 9,092 fans, setting a franchise playoff record by making 15-of-18 three-pointers for 83.3 percent. Hubbard (32 points, 4 assists, and 7 steals) made 8-of-9 from long range, Donaldson (27 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) made 3-of-4 and Keogh (18 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists) made 4-of-5 as he narrowly missed a triple-double, while Paul Maley (26 points and 6 rebounds) and Rod Johnson (20 points) led North Melbourne.

Game two moved to the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where Williams (6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made both of his field goal attempts, but North Melbourne responded with a 112-91 win. Trimmingham (22 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Donaldson (18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks) led Sydney, while Pat Reidy (28 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals), Maley (17 points and 9 rebounds) and Darryl McDonald (14 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals) forced the series into a deciding third game.

Game three remained in Melbourne on October 2, where Williams (0 points) played the final 2:09 as Trimmingham (31 points and 10 rebounds) and Keogh (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Sydney, while Maley (33 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals), Reidy (24 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals) and McDonald (17 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists) led North Melbourne to a 104-95 win, eliminating Sydney before the Giants went on to win the NBL championship.

1995
After a great start to the 1994 season, the Kings collapsed during the second half of the year, with the team’s young roster felt to be the cause. Veteran talent Phil Smyth (Adelaide), Justin Withers (Canberra) and import Bruce Bolden (SE Melbourne), who would replace fan favourite Mario Donaldson, would bring the experience required in spades.

The Kings starting lineup had increased from the average age of 28 to 31, which meant although they had added a ton of experience, this roster would only have one or two years to make it count.

The season started with a narrow 85-86 loss to Bolden’s former team, the Magic, before a up-and-down season, where the Kings defeated a number of the league’s top team’s but failed to close out games against those at the bottom of the ladder. Sydney would start the season with a 3-6 record, which included wins over Perth and North Melbourne, who would finish first and third, respectively, but suffered back-to-back losses to Canberra (who would finish tenth) and lost games to Townsville (finished 12th) and Gold Coast (finished 13th).

Leon Trimmingham (27.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.2 blocks) was named Kings team MVP after leading the team in scoring, rebounds, steals and blocks as Bolden (20.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals) and captain Damian Keogh (14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals) provided the additional scoring power. Sydney finished the season in tenth place with a record of 10-16 and failed to reach the playoffs.

Williams averaged 4.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists for the season.

1996
Sydney went through a period of major change prior to the 1996 season. From 1989 to 1995, the Kings had been coached by Bob Turner and had established themselves as a powerhouse franchise, particularly off the court. Corporate sponsorship through global juggernauts like Coca-Cola and Reebok had assisted in the enormous growth of the brand, resulting in numerous sell-outs at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

But in 1995, the Kings struggled on the floor and failed to make the playoffs. And for a club that every year expected to not only make the playoffs but contend for a championship, that wasn’t good enough.

Bob Turner was replaced as coach by Alan Black, who had taken the Illawarra Hawks to the playoffs in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and was named NBL Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1995. Two foundation members of the Sydney Kings – Mark Dalton and Damian Keogh – were released from the club, as were a number of other players from the unsuccessful 1995 squad.

Black brought Hawks MVP Melvin Thomas along with him to the Kings and signed former Charlotte Hornets guard Tony Bennett as the team’s two imports. 25-year-old Stephen Whitehead (via Melbourne) joined the team, looking for more playing opportunities after serving a ‘apprenticeship’ behind stars Andrew Gaze and Lanard Copeland. But the key addition this year was owner Mike Wrublewski convincing Australia’s Boomers guard Shane Heal to move to Sydney and become the face of the franchise and captain of the team. Wrublewski even had the Kings swap their traditional purple and gold uniforms in favour of a black pin-striped design as a way to signify a new direction for Sydney in the hopes of re-energising a fan base.

Some addition by subtraction saw the Kings release Bennett during the pre-season and replace him with the high-flying excitement machine, Isaac ‘Ice’ Burton, out of Arizona State University. Right from the start, they got the old Kingdome rocking, with Heal dropping 20 points in the fourth quarter of a unforgettable comeback win in the season opener at home against the North Melbourne Giants.

That set the scene for a incredible first two months, with Sydney jumping to a 11-3 record, winning their first eight games at home and leading the NBL standings. In one amazing stretch, the Kings won nine straight games, averaging 120.4 points per game over that span.

Midseason, Williams was selected to play in the Future Forces game, where he impressed, playing against the top Under-25 talent in the NBL.

Those wins included a blowout win over the Gold Coast (131-112), which saw Shane Heal (35 points and 7 assists) and Melvin Thomas (26 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocked shots) putting up big numbers. A nail biter over Perthat home (122-121), where three players scored at least 20 points, and Thomas finished just two assists shy of a triple-double, and win over NSW rival Illawarra (128-106), where Isaac Burton (32 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists) dominated both ends of the court.

Unfortunately, a midseason injury to Heal slowed the team down. Burton, who had started slowly at the offensive end, averaging 17 points per game during his first month with the Kings, faced rumours that he was at risk of being cut from the team due to a lack of scoring. Understanding he was signed to the team primarily as a defensive presence to assist Shane Heal in the backcourt, he had decided to focus on defence and defer to Heal offensively. The rumours led Bruton to fire up on the offensive end. He averaged 27 points per game in May, becoming a instant ‘fan-favourite’, and when Shane returned, the Kings won four of their last five games, taking them to a fifth-place (16-10) and a chance to play in the playoffs.

With Burton (24.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.1 steals) and Heal (23.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists) forming a deadly combination in the backcourt, Melvin Thomas (20.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks) and Bruce Bolden (16.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks) were a unstoppable tandem down low, adding toughness, rebounding and a deadly ability to knock down the midrange jumper.

Alongside the team’s stars, Williams increased his production to 4.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, rounding out a incredibly fun roster to watch.

Sydney (16-10) faced off against Canberra (16-10) in the Quarter-finals behind import duo Robert Rose and Darnell Mee. On the back of a season-high scoring night, Stephen Whitehead (24 points and 5 rebounds) surprised everyone in game one, winning by 24 points in the opening game (113-89). The Cannons would get a huge boost from their supporting cast in game two, with Jamie Pearlman (29 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists), David Close (25 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Ray Borner (21 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals) as well as Mee (29 points, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks) all scoring over 20 points. Rose (11 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists) finished just shy of a triple-double with Canberra defeating Sydney by 47 points (146-99). The deciding game saw the stars of the series come out firing, with Canberra’s Rose (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Mee (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists) going head-to-head with Sydney’s Heal (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Burton (25 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 steals) but it was the team’s supporting casts the made the difference. Outside of Heal and Bruton, the Kings managed to score a mere 43 points, while the Cannons remaining roster tallied 58 points, with Borner (18 points and 7 rebounds), Blakemore (17 points and 6 rebounds), and Pearlman (17 points and 3 assists) all having big games. Canberra closed out the series with the win (101-89) and headed into a semi final against Melbourne.

While the Kings were unable to progress past the first round of the playoffs, it was still a season to remember. Sydney averaged 108.8 points per game in the regular season – the most points scored per game in a regular season in franchise history – and also set team records that have never been broken for regular season field goal percentage (51.6%) and three-point percentage (41.2%).

Burton led the entire league in three-point percentage, was third in the NBL in steals and would go on to become the first Sydney King to win NBL Defensive Player of the Year. Heal would finish among the league’s best when he earned selection in the All-NBL Second Team.

After their 1996 elimination, the Kings would not make the NBL playoffs again until 2001, when they made it to the first round before being eliminated by the Townsville Crocodiles.

1997
Sydney entered 1997 following a fifth-place 16-10 campaign that ended against Canberra in the 1996 quarterfinals, but Alan Black’s second season began with a major backcourt change after captain Shane Heal (to Minnesota) left for the NBA. Neil Turner and Dean Uthoff (retired) also departed, while Isaac Burton, Melvin Thomas, Bruce Bolden, Stephen Whitehead, Brad Williams, Justin Withers, Brad Rosen and Danny Williams returned. Bolden took over the captaincy and Black added Aaron Trahair (via Perth), Cameron Dickinson (via Townsville), Matthew Nielsen (via AIS) and rookie Ben Knight. Hobart, Geelong and Gold Coast also exited the NBL following 1996, redistributing talent among the remaining 11 clubs and increasing the challenge of replacing Heal’s scoring and playmaking.

Sydney lost three of its opening four games as the reshaped rotation settled into the season. Williams (3.2 points across 24 games) appeared in 24 of the Kings’ 30 games and again struggled for playing time under Black, with his average court time falling from 17.0 minutes in 1996 to 10.0 minutes as his role within the rotation became smaller.

Williams’ best game came against Wollongong at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on September 6, where Williams (9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) made 4-of-6 shots and his only three-point attempt as Sydney defeated the Hawks 95-77. Thomas (21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) and Burton (20 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals) led the Kings around him, with Williams matching his season-high and producing his strongest all-around performance of the year.

Burton (20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 3 steals across 30 games) carried much of the scoring and playmaking load following Heal’s departure, leading Sydney in scoring and topping the NBL in steals for the second consecutive season. Thomas (18.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 30 games) led the Kings in rebounding, while Whitehead (12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds across 30 games) developed into the team’s third-leading scorer. Captain Bolden (11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds across 25 games), Trahair (11.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals across 22 games), Dickinson (10.8 points across 30 games), Nielsen (9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds across 29 games) and Rosen (5.1 points across 26 games) completed the main rotation. Trahair was eventually shifted back to the off-guard role before a foot injury after the All-Star break ended his season and increased Rosen’s backcourt responsibilities, while Nielsen established himself in the rotation and was named NBL Rookie of the Year.

Sydney closed the season against Canberra at the AIS Arena on September 27, where Williams (6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) made 3-of-5 shots in 15 minutes as the Cannons defeated the Kings 98-95. Burton (31 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) and Thomas (25 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks) led Sydney, while Robert Rose (37 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 assists) was Canberra’s best. The loss completed a three-game losing streak and left the Kings tenth with a 12-18 record, outside the playoffs.

1998
After finishing tenth with a 12-18 record in 1997, Sydney changed direction under new head coach Bill Tomlinson, who replaced Alan Black. Isaac Burton (to Newcastle), Melvin Thomas (to Canberra), Cameron Dickinson (to Wollongong) and Ben Knight (to South East Melbourne) departed, while captain Bruce Bolden, Aaron Trahair, Matthew Nielsen, Stephen Whitehead, Brad Rosen and Brad Williams returned. Shane Heal (via Minnesota) rejoined the Kings after one NBA season, while Scott McGregor (via Newcastle) and imports Matt Nover and Stephen Jackson were among the major additions. Nover had reached the NCAA Final Four and later played Ricky Roe in the movie Blue Chips, while Jackson had led the 1996 McDonald’s All-American Game in scoring before Phoenix selected him in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft. The 19-year-old began his professional career with Sydney as the youngest import signing in NBL history.

Williams produced his best game of the season in Sydney’s second outing, against Newcastle at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on February 11. Williams (6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) made 3-of-5 field goals, matching what would remain his season-high scoring mark. Heal (30 points, 7 rebounds, and 12 assists) and Trahair (14 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists) led the Kings, while Tonny Jensen (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists) was Newcastle’s leading scorer as Sydney won 105-90.

Three nights later, Williams (1 point, 1 rebound, and 2 steals) played limited minutes as the Kings edged defending champions Melbourne 93-92 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Bolden (23 points and 12 rebounds) and Nielsen (22 points and 6 rebounds) led Sydney, while Marcus Timmons (36 points and 10 rebounds) carried the Tigers. The victory left the Kings unbeaten through their opening three games despite Nover and Jackson struggling to establish themselves during the early rounds.

The winning streak ended in Adelaide on February 20, where Williams (3 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) played 11 minutes as the 36ers defeated Sydney 119-100. Trahair (19 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Whitehead (18 points) led the Kings, while Kevin Brooks (28 points and 16 rebounds) was Adelaide’s best. Late in the third quarter, Jackson landed awkwardly while attempting to block Brooks and broke his foot, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. Jackson eventually returned to the NBA, playing 858 games and winning the 2003 championship with San Antonio.

Williams (2.1 points across 15 games) saw his opportunities decrease for a second consecutive season, appearing in half of Sydney’s 30 games and averaging 8.1 minutes when used. He had played 24 games at 10.0 minutes per game the previous year after averaging 17.0 minutes during his more productive 1996 campaign.

Sydney’s promising start quickly disappeared amid repeated changes to its import combination. Nover was released after seven games, with former King Dave Simmons and former Sacramento forward Evers Burns joining the frontcourt. Simmons (6.5 points and 6.3 rebounds across 6 games) lasted six appearances before being released, with former North Carolina State guard Kelsey Weems then added to provide another ball-handler and allow Heal and Trahair to spend longer stretches at shooting guard. The Kings lost 10 of 12 games after their 3-0 start as Tomlinson continued searching for a settled rotation.

Heal (20.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists across 29 games) finished as Sydney’s leading scorer, while Weems (20 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.5 steals across 12 games) produced heavily after arriving during the season. Burns (16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds across 22 games) strengthened the frontcourt and Nielsen (16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals across 28 games) continued his rapid development after averaging 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds the previous year. Trahair (13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3 assists across 27 games), Bolden (10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds across 30 games) and McGregor (9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds across 30 games) supplied the other major contributions.

Williams did not appear when Sydney completed its season in Townsville on June 9. Nielsen (38 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Bolden (29 points and 8 rebounds) powered the Kings to their highest score of the season, while Simon Kerle (29 points) led Townsville. Sydney won 140-131 for its second consecutive victory, but finished eighth with a 13-17 record and missed the playoffs.

Williams was not re-signed for 1998/99, ending his first five-season stint with the Kings. He spent the following two seasons playing in Asia and the state leagues before returning to the NBL with Canberra in 2000/01.

CANBERRA CANNONS
2000/01
After failing to be re-signed by Sydney, Williams spent two seasons playing in Asia and the state leagues before getting a second crack at the NBL, this time with the Canberra Cannons. Although the Cannons finished with a dismal record of 3 wins and 25 losses, Williams (13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists 1.1 steals) delivered the best numbers of his NBL career. Coach Cal Bruton juggled numerous imports coming in and out of the team while Jayson Wells (21.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 steals) would fill the stat sheet for the Cannons each night, leading the team in scoring, rebounds and steals.

2001/02
After a season playing in Europe, CJ Bruton signed a deal with play with Canberra, aiming to help his father and head coach Calvin turn the team around after a woeful season where the Cannons managed only three wins for the season. Coach Bruton also added players George Banks (via Perth), Brendan Mann (via Brisbane) and rookie big man Cameron Rigby to the roster.

Banks (23.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists) would lead the team in scoring while Bruton (19.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) led the team in assists. Canberra finished the season with 12 wins and 18 losses and failed to reach the playoffs. Williams finished the season with averages of 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.

2002/03
Although Canberra entered 2002 struggling to stay afloat financially, the team added imports Mike Chappell (via Wollongong) and Reginald Poole (via Europe) to the roster and hoped a competitive team would draw enough fans to cover their costs.

With Chappell (21.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) leading the team in scoring, alongside Dave Thomas (18.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 steals), CJ Bruton (15.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.1 steals) and Poole (14.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 2.2 blocks) the Cannons started the season on fire. The part of the plan that involved building a successful team worked with Canberra winning seven of their first nine games, but by December, Cannon’s ownership couldn’t afford to keep paying the bills, and the team was forced into voluntary administration just three months into the season. Back-up big man Pero Vasiljevic (5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) and Thomas, who had both just signed two-year deals with the Cannons, exited the club to find alternative employment. A few games later, Bruton and Chappell both requested their release and signed elsewhere also.

Veterans Matthew Shanahan (14.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists) and Willie Simmons (6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks) were added mid-season to help cover the loss of their starting lineup but it wasn’t nearly enough.

In a combined attempt to raise enough money to keep the team in the league and add a few bodies to the roster, a number of NBL legends made cameo appearances with Cannons throughout the last half of the season. 41-year-old Butch Hays suited up for four games for the Cannons, and Perth Wildcats’ legend James Crawford also came out of retirement for one game. The Cannons season ended with the club going 4-17 across their remaining games, and at the end of 2003, Canberra’s licence was moved to Newcastle, where it operated as the Hunter Pirates. Williams played in 30 games for the Cannons and average 12.7 points, 2.0 assists and a career high 6.9 rebounds per game.

NEW ZEALAND/CAIRNS/WEST SYDNEY
2003/04
Brad Williams made NBL history in 2003/04, becoming the first player to suit up for three different teams in a single season. He began the year with the New Zealand Breakers during their inaugural campaign, playing 11 games before being released alongside Casey Frank to make way for import Mike Chappell. Two months later, he landed with the Cairns Taipans, where he appeared in seven games before being released once again. However, Williams’ season took a turn when he returned home to Sydney and found stability with the West Sydney Razorbacks, joining the team for the final 14 games of the regular season and playing a crucial role off the bench in their deep playoff run.

The Razorbacks had entered the 2003/04 season with a bold new direction, opting to field an all-Australian lineup for the first time in the modern NBL era. Led by stars John Rillie, Sam MacKinnon, and Simon Dwight, West Sydney built one of the strongest rosters in franchise history. Despite a rocky start, they responded with a dominant 10-game winning streak, solidifying themselves as legitimate contenders.

Williams joined the team in the second half of the season, providing much-needed depth in the frontcourt. With Scott McGregor suffering a season-ending injury in February, Williams’ role became even more significant, as he was called upon to back up Dwight, MacKinnon, and Russell Hinder. In his 14 games with the Razorbacks, Williams averaged 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, offering a strong interior presence and valuable minutes off the bench.

West Sydney carried its momentum into the postseason, eliminating Cairns (110-88) before sweeping Wollongong in the semifinals to reach the club’s second-ever NBL Grand Final. While the spotlight remained on the team’s core stars, Williams played his role effectively, providing rebounding and defensive versatility in limited minutes.

The Grand Final series against the Sydney Kings was a historic best-of-five showdown. Williams contributed key minutes in the physical Game 3, helping West Sydney secure a dramatic 82-80 overtime victory and move within one win of their first championship. In Game 5, he once again provided depth as the Razorbacks fought hard but ultimately fell 90-79.

Williams would then retire from the NBL, finishing his career on a high note, reaching the NBL Grand Final.

Brad Williams played eleven seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Sydney Kings, Canberra Cannons, West Sydney Razorbacks, New Zealand Breakers and Cairns Taipans. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 232 NBL games.