I was a big NBA fan during my early 20s, during the early 2000s when the Eastern Conference was relatively weak and the West dominated.
During those days, everyone was gunning to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs among other dynasties out West.
Several new powers rose up to challenge these dynasties, including my favorite team of all, outside of my hometown Detroit Pistons: the Sacramento Kings, led by Chris Webber, Peja Stojaković, Doug Christie, Vlade Divac and Jason Williams, the brilliant young point guard from the University of Florida.
The Kings were coached by Rick Adelman, who previously led the Portland Trail Blazers to the Finals and was long known as one of the best coaches, specifically offensive minds, in the Association.
Williams, whose nickname was ‘White Chocolate,’ was a player unlike any who came before him.
With his And-1 and Harlem Globetrotter caliber, flashy passes and dribbles and devil-may-care attitude, he was truly one-of-a-kind.
Williams was must-see TV during those days, so much so that his classic jersey rose to become one of the top sellers in the league at the time, right up there with Kobe Bryant and other more decorated players.
One of my fondest memories as an NBA fan is attending a Kings-Pistons game at the Palace of Auburn Hills, where Williams dazzled the crowd with an array of circus dribbles, behind-the-back and other passes as Webber and the Kings feasted en route to an easy victory.
The Pistons fan in me was a bit frustrated, but those Kings, and Williams and Webber especially, were so entertaining that I couldn’t feel too bad about it for long.
Watch ‘Colorblind:’ An Excellent Jason Williams Mini Documentary
At a run time of 27 minutes, the documentary film below is the perfect length. It details Williams’ career from the time he played high school sports with Randy Moss in West Virginia to his college days at Florida and post-Kings career, during which he quietly was a top contributor to the World Champion Miami Heat.
Watch it below, and be sure to share this with any ‘White Chocolate’ fan you may know in your life.
