Ex-Cav ‘Hot Rod’ Williams on life support

Was diagnosed with cancer six months ago

Wire reports

CLEVELAND

Former Cleveland Cavaliers center-forward John “Hot Rod” Williams is in a Baton Rouge, La., hospital fighting for his life after being diagnosed with prostate cancer six months ago, according a report in The Plain Dealer and on Cleveland.com.

PD columnist Terry Pluto first reported Tuesday about the 53-year-old Williams’ health problems. Mark Bartelstein, the former player’s agent, told Pluto the cancer has spread.

“His family is with him,” Bartelstein told the newspaper. “It’s a very serious situation.”

Williams played 13 seasons in the NBA, including nine with the Cavaliers from 1986-95. His Cleveland teammates included Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, Craig Ehlo and Ron Harper.

“John loved playing in Cleveland,” Bartelstein said. “He played a few years after leaving the Cavs, but he always thought of himself as a Cavalier.”

Multiple reports Wednesday indicated Williams was on life support. Several of his former NBA colleagues, including Price and Harper, asked followers on Twitter for prayers for the former Tulane University star.

Price tweeted: “Join me in Praying for my former teammate John “Hot Rod” Williams today. He is fighting for his life vs cancer. One of my Fav teammates!”

Former teammate Michael Cage tweeted: “Please pray for former teammate and NBA legend John “Hot Rod” Williams battling cancer and on life support.”

Cage’s tweet included a photo of Williams during his days with the Cavaliers (1986-95).

Ron Harper also played with Price and Williams on Cleveland teams in the late 1980s. He tweeted: “Sad news let’s pray hard for John hot rod Williams who’s fighting cancer for him and his family....”

Williams also played for the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks and retired in 1999 with career averages of 11 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field in almost 900 games. Williams is second in Cavaliers history with 1,200 blocks.

The Plain Dealer reported that Williams owned a construction company in his native Sorrento, La., and coached youth sports there after retiring from the NBA.

“He is loved in the community,” Bartelstein said told The Plain Dealer.

The Cavaliers selected Williams in the second round out of Tulane in the 1985 NBA draft. It was a risk because Williams had been implicated in a point-shaving scandal despite proclaiming his innocence. The first court case ended in a mistrial and the second resulted in an acquittal after less than an hour of deliberations.