Ziaire Williams (born September 12, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal.

Quick Facts No. 8 – Memphis Grizzlies, Position ...

Ziaire Williams

Williams with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022
No. 8 – Memphis Grizzlies
Position	Small forward / power forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(2001-09-12) September 12, 2001 (age 22) Lancaster, California, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school	Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, California) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, California)
College	Stanford (2020–2021)
NBA draft	2021: 1st round, 10th overall pick
Selected by the New Orleans Pelicans
Playing career	2021–present
Career history
2021–present	Memphis Grizzlies
2023	→Memphis Hustle
Career highlights and awards
McDonald's All-American (2020)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA Under-19 World Cup 2019 Greece Team

Close

Williams was born in Lancaster, California as the only child of Ziaire Williams and Marquita Fields-Williams on September 12, 2001.^[1] He began playing basketball at age five and was training under the guidance of his father by age eight.^[2]

For his first three years of high school, Williams attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. In his freshman season, he averaged 13.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.^[3] Williams missed much of his sophomore season with an injury but saw success in the summer with his club team BTI Select.^[4] On January 14, 2019, as a junior, he was named Los Angeles Daily News boys athlete of the week following two consecutive games with at least 34 points.^[5] In his junior season, Williams averaged 27 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists per game.^[1] He earned All-Mission League first team and USA Today All-USA California second team honors.^[6][7]

On July 18, 2019, Williams transferred to Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Los Angeles for his senior year. He joined the team with fellow five-star recruit BJ Boston, as well as Bronny James and Zaire Wade, the respective sons of basketball players LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.^[8][9] Williams was not eligible to play until December 29, due to CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) transfer rules, and missed more than 10 games.^[10] In his season debut, he scored 28 points in an 85–81 overtime loss to Rancho Christian School.^[11] On March 11, 2020, Williams scored 17 points and made a buzzer-beater in a 63–61 comeback win over Etiwanda High School.^[12] As a senior, he averaged 15 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, helping Sierra Canyon win the CIF-SS Open Division title. He was named player of the year by the Los Angeles Times.^[13] Williams was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, but all three games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[14]

In his collegiate debut for Stanford on November 30, 2020, Williams scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 82–64 win against Alabama.^[17] On January 7, 2021, he recorded 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, the first triple-double by a Stanford player since 2007, in a 91–75 victory over Washington.^[18] As a freshman, Williams averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 37.4 percent from the field. On March 31, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.^[19]

Williams played for the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Heraklion, Greece. In seven games, he averaged 5.3 points and 1.2 assists per game, helping his team win the gold medal.^[29]

Both of Williams' parents have served in the military: his mother, Marquita Fields-Williams, in the Army and Air Force, and his father, Ziaire Williams, in the Marine Corps.^[1] His mother is a probation officer, and his father works for 7 Up in Sylmar, Los Angeles.^[2]