It's been one of those years for Jason Williams. Back in October, he was suspended for bumping an official after arguing a call. In January, he no-showed on a road trip, got into a dispute with Magic management and eventually forced his way into a release. Shortly thereafter, he was picked up by the Memphis Grizzlies, where he played 11 games but isn't with the team in the playoffs due to injuries.
On Monday, ESPN.com and Yahoo! Sports both reported that Williams has decided to retire after a 12-year NBA career in which he posted averages of 10.5 points and 5.9 assists. It's probably time.
Williams, 35, averaged just 2.0 points and 1.9 assists in 10.9 minutes per game this season. He was somewhat productive as a reserve guard for the Magic last year, but Orlando's backcourt became extra crowded after its midseason trade for Gilbert Arenas, and Williams was clearly the odd man out.
The lasting memory from Williams' 2010-2011 season will be discontent, however his unique legacy casts a much wider net. He will be remembered as "White Chocolate," a high school teammate of NFL player Randy Moss who was not afraid to profanely tee off on reporters after a game and who brought one of the truly unique moves to the game: the behind-the-back off-the-elbow pass, as show below. He was also a member of the 2006 title-winning Miami Heat.
Happy trails, White Chocolate. There won't be another like you.
No comments:
Post a Comment