Jay Williams (basketball)
| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 10, 1981 Plainfield, New Jersey |
| Nationality | USA |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Joseph |
| College | Duke University |
| NBA draft | 2002: 2nd overall |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Playing career | 2002–2003 |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| 2002 Oscar Robertson Trophy | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Jason "Jay" Williams (born September 10, 1981 in Plainfield, New Jersey) was an American professional basketball player. He last signed with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, but was waived on December 30, 2006 to rehabilitate a nagging injury.[1] Even though his first name is actually Jason, he asked to be known as "Jay" upon joining the National Basketball Association in 2002. This was necessary to avoid confusion with then-active NBA players Jason Williams and Jayson Williams. Williams claimed that "Jay" was what he was called by those close to him.
High school
The 6'2" (188 cm) point guard grew up in New Jersey, and attended St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, graduating in 1999. He not only excelled at basketball, but took an active interest in other activities, notably chess. His nickname in high school was "Jay Dubs." He also played junior varsity soccer during his freshman year and varsity volleyball during his senior year.
College career
In college, he was a star at Duke University where he graduated in three years, won an NCAA championship, and had his jersey number 22 retired.
After his junior season, he became the most sought-after American player in the 2002 NBA Draft. He was voted as the best player in college basketball and received the Naismith Award and Wooden Award in 2002.
NBA career
He was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the second overall pick, after Chinese player Yao Ming was selected first by the Houston Rockets.
He played for the US national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship.[2]
Williams was a starter in the Bulls' line-up for most of the 2002-03 NBA season. Although his performance was inconsistent and he competed for playing time with Jamal Crawford, he showed signs of promise including posting a triple-double in a win over his hometown New Jersey Nets.
Motorcycle accident
Williams' life almost ended on June 19, 2003. After speaking to youths at a basketball camp about personal responsibility [1], he drove off without a helmet and crashed his motorcycle into a pole at the intersection of Fletcher and Honore in Chicago, Illinois. Williams was driving a new Yamaha YZF-R6. Williams severed a main nerve in his leg, fractured his pelvis and tore three ligaments in his left knee including the ACL and required physical therapy to regain the use of his leg. Many months later, after it was clear he would not be returning to the Bulls for some time (if at all), they waived him and drafted point guard Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls could have refused to pay Williams (since he violated his contract by riding a motorcycle), but instead they offered a buyout worth approximately $3 million. At the time, it was not clear that he would be able to return to professional basketball, although he continued to train toward that goal. In the interim, he appeared in college and high school basketball broadcasts on ESPN as a color commentator. The Yamaha was stolen from the accident scene while Williams was being treated, but Williams never bothered looking for it since he said he did not care if he ever saw it again.
Return to basketball
In the summer of 2006, Williams impressed scouts with his recovery efforts. On September 28, 2006, the New Jersey Nets announced that the organization had signed Williams to a non-guaranteed contract, giving the guard the opportunity to play for his hometown team. However, on October 22, Williams was released.[3]
On December 30, 2006, Williams was waived by the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League due to injury.[4]
Williams has since announced that he has no plans at the moment to resume his basketball career. He is currently working for 24 Hour Fitness, doing motivational speaking and is working as an analyst on CBS College Sports Network during the course of the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. [5]
References
External links
- Player profile NBA.com
- Blog written by Williams @ NBA.com
- 2002 Oscar Robertson Trophy College Basketball Player of the Year
Template:Wooden Award Winners Men Template:Naismith Award Winners Men