Jason Williams was one of the most electric point guards in Florida — and NBA — history, despite spending only one season in Gainesville.
Jason Williams (1997-98) – Point Guard
Jason Williams was one of the most electric point guards in Florida — and NBA — history, despite spending only one season in Gainesville. Known for his high-tempo approach and crisp passing skills, “White Chocolate” was a spectacle to behold during his playing days.
Born and raised in Belle, W. Va., Williams attended now-defunct DuPont High School where, playing alongside NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, he became the only athlete in DuPont team history to reach 1,000 points and 500 assists during his prep career. He was named West Virginia Player of the Year by USA Today in 1994.
Williams initially committed to Providence but later changed his mind and attended Marshall, where Billy Donovan had just taken over for Rick Barnes who had left for Clemson. After redshirting his first year, he put up 13.4 points and 6.4 assists per game during the 1995–96 season and when Donovan accepted the head coach job at UF, Williams followed along with him, sitting out the 1996-97 season due to the NCAA transfer rule.
“J-Will” hit the ground running for Florida as the starting point guard during his redshirt sophomore campaign, averaging 17.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.7 steals in 20 games played while also setting the program record for assists in a game with 17 against Duquesne on December 3, 1997. However, his season came to an abrupt end after receiving his third suspension for cannabis use, resulting in a disqualification for the remainder of the year.
Subsequently, Williams declared for the 1998 NBA Draft in which he was selected No. 7 overall by the Sacramento Kings. He joined Chris Webber, Vlade Divac and Peja Stojaković to form a formidable core that instantly became a playoff contender. In his three seasons in northern California, he averaged 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game at the point guard position.
In 2001, the Kings traded Williams to the Vancouver Grizzlies — which moved to Memphis before “J-Dub” ever suited up for the team — after some disciplinary issues in Sacramento. He enjoyed the best years of his career with the Grizzlies, averaging 11.5 points along with 2.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals over a five-year span. However, like many of his other stops during his basketball playing days, personality conflicts marred his Tennessee tenure.
Williams was traded in August of 2005 in a 13-player blockbuster deal that sent him to sunny South Florida, where he won his only NBA title alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Dwayne Wade on the Miami Heat. After putting up reduced — albeit still effective — numbers on South Beach, he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2008 offseason. He retired shortly after that without playing a single game, citing nagging injuries that had accumulated over the course of his career.
However, “White Chocolate” couldn’t stay away from basketball for long, signing with the Orlando Magic in 2009 where he backed up Jameer Nelson on a juggernaut Magic squad that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. He resigned for the next season, but after dealing with knee problems — including arthroscopic surgery — Williams was released from the team and signed by the Grizzlies on a two-year contract. After just playing 11 games in 2010-11, he announced his retirement for the second and final time.
Over the course of his 12-year career, Williams averaged 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game for four different teams. He is no longer involved in professional basketball.
