Slick Watts, Beloved Sonic and Husky Dad, Deals with Major Health Setback
Donald "Slick" Watts played for the Sonics, not the Huskies.
Yet he's been considered an honorary member of the University of Washington basketball program for a long time, a permanent fixture in the Seattle sports scene for nearly a half century.
After becoming an unforgettable pro basketball player, Slick supplied the UW with a first-rate shooting guard — his son, Donald.
Sadly, the younger Watts on Monday notified everyone that his father had suffered "a massive stroke" last Friday and is dealing with the complications that come with this intrusion on his health.
Slick, one of the city's more endearing and recognizable athletic figures, still looks forever young, yet he will celebrate his 70th birthday in three months.
For those unable to quote all of the basketball particulars of Slick Watts, he showed up as an undrafted free agent for the Sonics from Louisiana's Xavier University and made the team for the 1973-74 season.
He was nicknamed Slick because he shaved his head, becoming one of the first NBA players to do so, and he wore a headband at an angle, with all of his unique traits making him instantly popular with the fans.
Watts became a starter and a disruptor, and the first player to lead the league in assists and steals at the same time.
He played five seasons for the Sonics, briefly with the New Orleans Jazz and Houston Rockets and in Anchorage in the minor-league CBA before returning to the city that has always adored him.
His son Donald was a three-year starter for the Huskies in 1997-99 who helped them to a pair of NCAA tournaments. Slick was there every step of the way, a proud father as another Watts enthralled Seattle.
Here's wishing Slick a speedy recovery.
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