Britain's Williams drafted into NBA by Boston Celtics
Williams grew up in Nottingham until the age of 18
- Published
Britain's Amari Williams has been drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics after being chosen as the 46th overall pick.
The 23-year-old becomes the third English-born active player in the NBA, joining Brooklyn Nets' forward Tosan Evbuomwan and OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks.
Born in Nottingham, Williams attended Myerscough College in Lancashire before moving to Drexel University and the University of Kentucky in the United States.
The 7ft centre spent the first four of his five-year college career with the Drexel Dragons, where he was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year three times.
He then transferred to Kentucky, averaging 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Wildcats last season.
The first British-born player to feature in the NBA was Chris Harris, who represented St. Louis Hawks and Rochester Royals in the 1955-56 season.
San Antonio Spurs' Jeremy Sochan was born in the United States but raised in England and played for multiple English sides, most notably Southampton-based Solent Kestrels.
He is classed as a British player by the NBA, despite playing internationally for Poland.
Williams' arrival adds some much needed front-court depth to the Celtics, who are the most successful team in NBA history having won a record 18 championships.
He is the second player to join the team in the 2025 draft after Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez, who was selected from Real Madrid as the number 28 pick in the first round on Wednesday.
Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and is the second most popular team sport, with more than 1.5m people playing on a weekly basis.