Watts, Ronny

Ronald Michael Watts

Watts was a two-time All-ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) forward for Wake Forest University in the 1960s. He then played two seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, and was a member of the Celtics' 1966 NBA Champion team.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. May 21, 1943

Career Highlights:
Watts, a 6'6" forward, was an outstanding player for Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference before playing the NBA. In 1963, as a sophomore, he appeared in 26 games for the Demon Deacons and averaged 6.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game during the regular season. Wake Forest finished the regular season with an overall record of 16-10 and reached second place in the ACC with a 11-3 conference record. In the conference tournament, Watts played well and averaged 9.3 points and 8.3 rebounds. Wake Forest defeated Maryland, 80-41, in the first round, and beat North Carolina, 56-55, in the semifinals before losing to Duke (led by National Player of the Year, Art Heyman) in the finals, 68-57. Wake Forest did not play in a national postseason tournament because only the conference champion was invited to the NCAA tournament.

In 1964, his second season with the Demon Deacons, Watts became a starter and had a solid season. He played in all 27 regular season games and averaged 13.8 points and 12.0 rebounds. Wake Forest finished second in the ACC behind Duke for the second straight year (16-11, 9-5 in conference). After being named second team All-ACC, Ronny played well in the ACC tournament, averaging 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds (he led the team in rebounding), and 2.0 assists. For the second consecutive year, Wake Forest played in the conference championship, but again lost to Duke, 80-59, to miss out on a postseason tournament.

Watts' senior year proved to be a frustrating one, with Wake Forest finishing 12-15 (6-8 in conference). Still, Watts played the best basketball of his college career and was named second team All-ACC again as he averaged career-highs in points (19.2) and rebounds (13.0). In the ACC tournament, Wake Forest was eliminated by Duke for the third straight season despite Watts's efforts. After scoring 18 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in Wake's 92-76 first round win over North Carolina, Ronny scored 15 points and had 9 rebounds in their 101-81 semifinal loss to Duke. Watts finished his career with 1,069 points (13.4) and 833 rebounds (10.4) while playing every single game in his three varsity seasons.

After graduating, Watts was selected in the second round (13th overall) of the 1965 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, who were coming off their seventh straight NBA title. Coached by the legendary Red Auerbach, the Celtics already boasted a number of big guns: future Hall of Famers as Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, and K.C. Jones. With so many talented players on the squad, Watts saw action in only one game during the season; playing just three minutes, he scored a basket and grabbed a rebound. In what would be Auerbach's final season as head coach, the Celtics went 54-26 in the regular season and won their eighth consecutive championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, 4 games to 3.

During the 1966 NBA Finals, Auerbach named Bill Russell his successor as the Celtics head coach (Russell also remained a player), making him the first African-American to coach in the NBA. During the 1966-67 season, Watts saw more action, playing 28 games and averaging 1.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. The Celtics went 60-21 but lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs and ended their run of consecutive titles. Watts retired following the 1966-67 season.

Origin:
Washington, D.C.

Career Dates:
Watts played forward at Wake Forest from 1962-1965, and in the NBA with the Boston Celtics from 1966-1968.

Physical description:
6'6", 210 pounds

Career Statistics:
In the NBA:
Games: 29
Points: 40
Points Per Game: 1.4

Field Goals Made: 13
Field Goals Attempted: 46
Field Goal Percentage: .261

Free Throws Made: 16
Free Throws Attempted: 23
Free Throw Percentage: .696

Rebounds: 39
Rebounds Per Game: 1.4
Assists: 2
Assists Per Game: 0.1
Personal Fouls: 17
Disqualifications: na

NBA playoffs:
Games: 1
Points: 3
Points Per Game: 3.0

Field Goals Made: 1
Field Goals Attempted: 6
Field Goal Percentage: .167

Free Throws Made: 1
Free Throws Attempted: 2
Free Throw Percentage: .500

Rebounds: 2
Rebounds Per Game: 2.0
Assists: 0
Assists Per Game: 0.0

Personal Fouls: 3
Disqualifications: 0

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