Sports
Corliss Williamson
born 1973 · basketball player, coach
"Big Nasty" was the Pistons' Sixth Man of the Year in 2002 and a key bench scorer on Detroit's 2004 NBA championship team.
- Born
Russellville, Arkansas
age 52- Birth name
- Corliss Mondari Williamson
- Also known as
- Big Nasty
- Detroit years
- 2001–2004
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Williamson had already made his name as a bruising, undersized power forward at the University of Arkansas when a 2001 trade brought him to Detroit along with Kornel David and Tyrone Corbin. He thrived as an instant-offense reserve, too strong for small forwards to guard and too quick for power forwards, and was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in the 2001–02 season. His steadiest contribution came two years later: as a key bench presence on Detroit's surprise 2004 championship team, coached by Larry Brown, he gave the Pistons scoring punch in the low post during their upset of the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. The title made Williamson one of the few players to win championships at the AAU, NCAA and NBA levels. He was traded away later that year but returned to the organization decades later as an assistant coach under Igor Kokoškov, who had also been a Pistons assistant during the 2004 title run.
Highlights
- NBA Sixth Man of the Year, 2001–02 season with the Pistons
- Key bench scorer on Detroit's 2004 NBA championship team
- Played for the Pistons from 2001 to 2004
- One of a small group of players to win titles at the AAU, NCAA and NBA levels
- Later returned to Detroit as an assistant coach
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 2001–2004
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Demolished · 1988–2017
His home arena, including the 2004 championship season; demolished in 2020.