William Avery

William Avery is an American and a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and various European leagues. He has played for the Minnesota Timberwolves while in the NBA. He is currently an assistant coach for Duke University's men's basketball team.

Player Profile

William Franklin Avery Jr. was born on August 8, 1979, in Augusta, Georgia. He stands 188 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 91 kg. He shoots right and played point guard throughout his career.

High School and College Career

Avery attended Westside High School in Augusta, Georgia, before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. He was named a Third-team Parade All-American in 1997.

He then played college basketball at Duke University from 1997 to 1999, where he earned Second-team All-ACC honors in 1999.

Professional Career

Avery was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft.

He played for Minnesota from 1999 to 2002. After his time in the NBA, he embarked on an extensive international career that took him across Europe. His European journey began in France with Strasbourg IG (2002-2003), followed by a stint with Makedonikos in Greece (2003).

He then played in Israel for two teams: Hapoel Tel Aviv (2004) and Hapoel Jerusalem (2004-2005).

In 2005, he had a brief stint with Azovmash Mariupol in Ukraine before moving to Greece to play for Panionios (2005-2006). He then signed with Alba Berlin in Germany (2006-2007), followed by a short period with Galatasaray Café Crown in Turkey (2007).

The latter part of his career was primarily spent in Greece, where he played for AEK Athens (2007-2008), Trikala 2000 (2008-2009), and PAOK (2009). He concluded his professional career with Energa Czarni Slupsk in Poland in 2011.

After retiring in 2012, Avery started a basketball camp in Evans, Georgia. In 2019, he returned to Duke University to complete his degree in African American studies, graduating in 2023. During this time, he assisted the basketball team, which led to his current position as an assistant coach at Duke, which he began in July 2023.

Career Highlights:

• 1997 - Third-team Parade All-American
• 1999 - Second-team All-ACC