I remember at the end of the ’99 season, SLAM magazine did a three way cover for their choice of Rookie of the Year. Vince Carter was on one, Paul Pierce was on another, and Jason Williams was on the third. I ended up with the Vince Carter cover, but I would really have preferred the J-Will one at the time.
Paul Pierce is now the reigning Finals MVP, having won a championship with KG, Jesus Shuttlesworth, and the rest of the Celtics. Vince Carter is somewhat of a joke these days, although it will always remain true that he has jumped over the head of a 7’2” Frenchman.
But Jason Williams, it seems, is hanging up his kicks. He hasn’t been the White Chocolate that you see in the video above for some time, of course, but still, for me, it’s kinda sad.
J-Will also exemplifies the dawning of the YouTube era for me, in one particular way. I remember after the Rookie Challenge game at the NBA All-Star weekend in 2000, everyone was going crazy online about his “elbow pass”. Stuck here in the UK, I had no idea what this meant at the time, and could only guess at how amazing it must have been.
A few years later, of course, a quick search for Jason Williams elbow will instantly find you footage of the pass in question. It is pretty badass. I wish I had seen it at the time.
Thanks for all the highlights, Jason. I’m not sure what your legacy will be, but I for one am grateful for the little joys you created on the court.
