Former NBA Player John 'Hot Rod' Williams Dies at 53

Former Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks center John "Hot Rod" Williams died Friday from cancer, according to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst, citing Williams' agent Mark Bartelstein. 

Williams, 53, had been in the intensive care unit of a hospital near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as recently as Wednesday after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto. 

Citing Bartelstein, Pluto noted Williams was diagnosed six months ago before the cancer spread aggressively. 

The Cavaliers released a statement honoring Williams:

"

The entire Cavaliers family is deeply saddened with the news of John "Hot Rod” Williams’ passing. Hot Rod was, first and foremost, a great teammate, and also the kind of dependable person and player that made the Cavaliers organization proud during his almost decade-long time with the team. Hot Rod was the guy that willingly and pridefully drew the toughest defensive assignment. He was the kind of talented, unselfish and versatile player and person that earned the respect of everyone around him, including his teammates and opponents, and those who knew and worked with him off the court as well. In many respects, he was the humble embodiment and unsung hero of one of the most memorable and successful eras of Cavaliers basketball.

Hot Rod will be greatly missed and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

"

"It's devastating," former Cavaliers general manager Wayne Embry said, per Windhorst. "He was a hard worker and a great player, but I liked him more as a person than a basketball player."

Former Cavaliers guard Ron Harper also spoke of Williams in glowing terms, according to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin: 

A second-round pick in the 1985 NBA draft, Williams wasted no time getting acclimated to the NBA after playing his college ball at Tulane. As a rookie, Williams averaged 14.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks en route to being named a member of the NBA's All-Rookie First Team. 

The Cavaliers improved throughout the early stages of Williams' tenure in Cleveland, but they couldn't get over the postseason hump against Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. After the Bulls defeated the Cavaliers in the first round of the 1988 and 1989 playoffs, they dispatched Williams and Co. in every postseason from 1992 to 1994.

Williams played nine seasons in Cleveland, and he averaged double figures in the scoring column in each one. But after the 1994-95 campaign, the Cavaliers shipped Williams to Phoenix in exchange for Antonio Lang, Dan Majerle and a 1997 first-round pick that turned out to be Brevin Knight. 

Williams played three seasons in the desert before closing out his career with a one-year stint in Dallas. 

According to Basketball-Reference.com, Williams ranks third in Cavaliers history with 20,802 minutes played, second in offensive rebounds (1,620), second in blocks (1,200) and seventh in points (8,504).