Jay Williams is BACK

CHICAGO -- Two years ago, a motorcycle crash mangled Jay Williams' left leg so badly he didn't know if he'd ever be able to walk again, much less play basketball.


Williams


He's not only back on the court these days, but running, cutting and jumping, determined to prove he's ready to return to the NBA. What once was a dream to keep him going through long hours of rehab is now his reality, and Williams is certain he'll be playing in the NBA this fall.

"I'll be somewhere by October," he said after a 45-minute workout Thursday. "It's been a long journey, it's been a long road. I'm glad I can finally see a light at the end of it."

Williams had everything going for him two summers ago. After being named the 2002 college player of the year following his junior season at Duke, the Chicago Bulls had made the guard the No. 2 pick in the draft. Though he struggled his rookie year, plagued by turnovers and poor shooting, he also showed flashes of the brilliance that had been expected.

In a November game against the New Jersey Nets, Williams dropped a triple-double on the defending Eastern Conference champs with 26 points, 13 assists and 14 rebounds.

But everything changed June 19, 2003.

Though riding a motorcycle violates the standard NBA contract, Williams had gotten a new Yamaha sportbike -- red and black, naturally. On his way to dinner that night, he lost control of the powerful bike and smashed into a utility pole. He was thrown onto a grassy curb, but the impact severed a main nerve in his left leg, fractured his pelvis and tore three of the four main ligaments in his left knee.


He was immobilized for eight weeks, first at a Chicago hospital, then at Duke University Medical Center. He was still on crutches six months after the accident, has had about a half-dozen surgeries and didn't start running full-speed until earlier this year.


"Everyone makes mistakes and that happened to me," Williams said. "But you know what? I wouldn't change it for the world. People can call me an idiot all they want, but I'm glad it happened to me because it's humbled me as a person and it's really made me pay attention to the people who are important to me in my life."


It also gave him a new appreciation for basketball.


Though Williams said from the start he wanted to play again, he admits he wasn't really sure if he could until April. That's when he came back to Chicago and started working with Tim Grover, Michael Jordan's longtime personal trainer.


"I was so nervous because Tim told me on the phone, 'Listen, if I don't think you can do it, I won't take your money. We'll go our separate ways. And I'll tell you how I really feel. But if you can, we're going to push you every day,"' Williams recalled. "I got here, I was so nervous, and I worked out and Tim was like, 'October, we'll have you ready."'


"Honestly, I was like I don't know if this dude's on something or what," Williams said, laughing. "Because I still, for myself, I wasn't very confident. I was asking him, 'What else do you think I should do? Do you think I should go back to school?' When he said that, after the first couple of days, I started to see that improvement."


Grover said the progress Williams has made is like "night and day." Williams was still limping when he arrived, and couldn't even touch the net. Now Williams estimates he's about 90 percent healthy, and the only visible signs of his injury are an ankle brace and a black wrap over his calf.


He spends 10-12 hours a day with Grover and his staff, doing physical therapy, Pilates and skill drills. The other day, he jumped over a 40-inch barrier. He also plays pickup games against what Grover called "high-level competition," and those are expected to get even more intense once the free agent signing period begins.


NBA players flock to Grover's gym in the summer, but no one's taking chances until they're under contract.


"He will be in a training camp this season coming up, in October. And he will be on somebody's roster," Grover said. "There's no doubt in my mind about that. ... We would not spend this much time and effort, and waste his time and our time if we didn't think it was possible."


Williams acknowledges he might never regain the explosiveness and quickness that set him apart. But he's put on seven pounds -- he now weighs 203 -- and is broader in the shoulders.


The time off also made him a smarter player, with most of his free time devoted to watching basketball.


"I know the game so much better right now that it just makes it easier for me when I play on the court," he said. "Be a point guard, lead my team, get my assists and hit open shots when I can, that's the kind of player I'm going to be."


While no team has offered him a contract yet, agent Kevin Bradbury said there are six to eight teams that have been checking on his progress. He'll do official workouts as soon as he clears the last few hurdles in his rehab program.


Williams' preference is to rejoin the Bulls, who waived him in February 2004 after buying out the last two years of his contract. But Chicago already has Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon, and general manager John Paxson wants to bring Chris Duhon back.


Besides, where Williams ends up is only a minor detail in the journey.


"Every day of my life for the past two years, people look at me with such sympathy. They feel really bad for me," Williams said. "I look at them and I'm like, 'You don't have to feel bad for me.' First of all, I'm still living, I'm here. There was a big chance I could have lost my life.


"This is gravy on the side," he said. "I'm getting the chance to play basketball, play the game I love. I look forward to showing everybody what I can do."

I wonder what kinds of numbers he can put up.

He is flirting with HOU and MIA!

Rockets And Heat After Jay Williams

Caller - 07/20 - 8:49 PM EST
The Rockets are attempting to retain free agent guard Jon Barry and center Dikembe Mutombo. Barry provided a good spark off the bench, but there are plenty of possible replacements. Free agent point guards Jeff McInnis (Cavaliers), Dan Dickau (Hornets), Earl Watson (Grizzlies) and Damon Stoudamire (Blazers) have stirred some interest.

But the Rockets may look for a potential diamond in the rough. Former Duke guard Jay Williams is back playing two years after serious leg injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. The Miami Heat and Rockets are two teams who are interested in the former second overall pick.

It would be an interesting addition to both teams, IMHO.

Sweet!

I don't exactly know how bad his injury was, but from what i read, it was pretty nasty one. i'm glad he is back, i wish him the best. It'll be nice if he goes to houston.

Is good to see him back. I am worry his injury is like Grant Hill, played most of the first half of the season and then injured most of the second half of the season.

well both teams would be a good situation for him, hopefully when he gets back to 100% health(he wont have that explosiveness that set him apart of course, as he mentioned)
but he could definatley start in the backcourt with Dwayne Wade or Wesley/Sura .

hmmmmm i like the look of Wade n Williams in the backcourt, thats if he can be 3/4 good as he was gonna be of course

He's a big gamble. I hope he gets a chance this season.

Cool. I'll be very happy if he succeeds in Houston

For the right price, I'd like to see him back in Chicago.

Yeh i saw this before....and I was a fan of his couple years back and I felt for him wen he had the accident.
Im glad his back and I hope he can still play.

This is great story. If he steps back on the hardwood, it would be spectacular! Feel happy, especially for him!

Go to Atlanta, get a good stat line and then land a big contract with the Lakers.

I think the Clippers should give him a chance as backup PG too, although IMO the best choice would be for Jay to go to Atlanta, of course the problem is the Hawks are too busy firing contracts at swingmen.

I think the Lakers could really use him. With him in the lineup along with Kwame, the Lakers could make a push for the 2nd round of Playoffs (with Phil as the coach ofcource).

Glad to hear he's confident about his return, where ever he ends up, I wish him the best & hope he can once again shine as he did in Duke. What a shame it would've been to be drafted second & never be able to compete again.

He's a big gamble. I hope he gets a chance this season.

Ditto. But it's great that he's making progress and has a chance at coming back on the court. Looks like T.J. Ford is making a comeback from injury too.

Cool, Jay was my fav player in that 2002 draft and i used to love watchig him. Too bad the triangle and the pace of an NBA game were too much for him in Chicago. I hope he does better somwhere else.

What a shame it would've been to be drafted second & never be able to compete again.

Sorta related to that look at Ronny Turiaf, sure he was a 2nd rounder but you know he would make that Lakers team and hed get some playing time and now this heart thing could kill him...injuries suck.

Nice ! Both PG's are talented and should get a chance to prove themselves

Great to see him back.

Great to see him back.

This is sensational! It takes a great character to come back from such an accident, many of us would have left it there. These great efforts will pay off and I hope that Jay will play as good as he used to and even better. Much love!



My 666th post! Evil!

he's hardly back. until he starts working out for teams/play against actual nba competition/or let the media watch him play... he's still rehabbing/not ready for the nba

for now we're just hearing his agent, himself, a personnel trainer, and other media outlets hype jay williams up

I'm sorry, but I think he's an idiot for breaking his contract (and showing off in national tv!) and damaging himself. He deserved it. It was his fault to break a multi million dollar contract. It's not like everyone needs to have a motorcycle anyhow. It was a luxury that he paid for KNOWING that it was a clause in his contract. I remember in some article they said that he publically said in MTV cribs "I'm not supposed to show you this, since it's against my contract but..." Well, see how foreshadowing that was. Those conditions were there for a reason. I don't feel sorry for criminal, so why should I feel sorry for this idiotic rich prick.

However, if he joins the Heat, I will have to stop dissing him.

I didn't know that, bangyounh.. but I'm a little confused, you made it sound like he was getting paid for being injured, but you said he broke his contract (as in the clause would not let him get the money?)

Well I didn't mean he was being paid to get injured, but he broke a clause in his contract that didn't allow him to ride/purchase motorcycles.

"Terms of Williams' contract prohibited him from riding motorcycles, and the Bulls could have voided his contract."
from: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketba ... yout_x.htm

(It's towards the end of the article.)

I don't think we should feel so sorry for an idiot who didn't respect his contract and get injured. Do people really feel sorry for people who injure themselves breaking the law? It's almost the same thing.

Breaking the law and breakig a contract are totally different.

Look at what Detroit did to Larry Brown. It goes both ways.

With that being said, he should return to the bulls if he does indeed make it back. But even if he doesnt, i tip my hat to him for trying to come back. He could have easily just packed it in and had an easy life. Instead he is trying to return, and I admire that.