NBA player Williams gives back to community
But for the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Los Angeles Lakers reserve point guard, there's a lot more to life than just basketball. "It's not basketball that's important," Williams said. "Developing and helping shape our society, that's what's really important." A Greenville native, Williams is sponsoring a basketball skills camp for children ages 6-18 this week at the Spartanburg YMCA. "I take pride in being from the Upstate, so it's great to come here and help these kids and give a little something back to the community," Williams said. Williams, who attended Southside High School, played under the legendary Dean Smith at North Carolina and helped lead the Tar Heels to three Final Four appearances in four seasons before being drafted into the NBA in 1998. His NBA career included stops in Atlanta, Seattle, Boston, Denver, New Orleans and Orlando before he joined the Los Angeles Lakers last year. "When I sit and look back, it's overwhelming that I've had this opportunity," said Williams, who has averaged 5.8 points and 2.4 assists per game during his NBA career. "But it hasn't changed me as an individual, because I understand where I've come from. "I really strive to put life in perspective, and I understand that just because I play basketball, it doesn't make me a better individual than the next man." Williams' basketball career and his family background does, however, give him unique insight into one of the biggest stories floating around the NBA this week - the trade talks involving Garnett, who is rumored to be headed to the Los Angeles Lakers. Garnett, also a Greenville native, started his prep basketball career at Mauldin High School before moving to Chicago. "I talked to my cousin (Garnett) during the season, and we had a discussion about it, but I can't say for sure that (the Los Angeles Lakers are) his team of choice," Williams said. "But I do know that he is one of the elite players in the NBA, and it would be great for the Los Angeles Lakers' organization." Unlike Garnett, who went straight to the NBA out of high school, Williams said that college was always his No. 1 option. "I never really wanted to play in the NBA," Williams said. "I wanted to be a financial broker, and that was always my dream. So I went to college and got an economics degree." Getting drafted into the NBA was simply an added bonus for Williams, who said that his basketball career has opened so many doors for him. "I love the game of basketball, but playing in the NBA has never been something that's really driven me," Williams said. "One of the reasons I left the NBA and played (professional basketball in Europe from 2004-06) was so that I could learn something new. "I lived in Russia for a year and lived in Spain for another year, and just being in those societies and being in those cultures was such an amazing experience. Who would have ever thought that a kid from Greenville, from my socio-economic background, would have an opportunity like that?" Williams' social consciousness is evident when he talks about the hurt he felt regarding the slow government response to Hurricane Katrina flood victims in New Orleans, where he once played for the Hornets. "The Big Easy had such a great atmosphere, and I really thought that I was going to finish my career in New Orleans," Williams said. "So it was tough to see the community go through what it did. "It was just so disappointing, because I feel like we have more than enough resources as a country (to prevent) anyone from having to go through suffering like that." Williams has strong opinions on various social issues, but he said that change starts with individuals. "I feel that we're all the same people, and I want success for the next person just like I want success for myself," Williams said. "And that's one of the reasons that I'm here trying to help these kids progress." Current North Carolina players Bobby Frasor and Tyler Hansbrough are scheduled to be on hand for the basketball skills camp today, and former Blacksburg High School standout and current NBA star Mikki Moore is expected to help out later in the week.
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