Jayson Williams facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 22, 1968 Ritter, South Carolina, U.S. |
| High school | Christ the King (Queens, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | St. John's (1987–1990) |
| NBA Draft | 1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21st overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Pro career | 1990–2000, 2005 |
| Career history | |
| 1990–1992 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1992–2000 | New Jersey Nets |
| 2005 | Idaho Stampede |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 3,472 (7.3 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,584 (7.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 287 (0.6 apg) |
Jayson Williams (born February 22, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 11 seasons. Most of his career was with the New Jersey Nets.
He started his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Phoenix Suns had first picked him in the 1990 NBA draft. Williams became an All-Star in 1998. In 2016, he was honored by being inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jayson Williams was born in Ritter, South Carolina. His parents were Elijah Joshua "EJ" Williams and Barbara Williams. His family has roots from Poland, Italy, and Africa.
When he was twelve, Williams moved to Brooklyn, New York. He attended Christ The King Regional High School. Later, he went to St. John's University. He played basketball for both his high school and college teams.
Professional Basketball Career
The Phoenix Suns chose Jayson Williams as the 21st pick in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft. Soon after, his draft rights were traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. This happened on October 28, 1990.
He played two seasons with the 76ers, mostly coming off the bench. On October 8, 1992, Williams was traded to the New Jersey Nets.
Becoming a Starter
With the Nets, Williams was a bench player for his first three seasons. He finally became a full-time starter in the 1996–97 season.
In the first game of the next season, Williams set a team record. He grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, with 20 total rebounds. This helped the Nets win against the Indiana Pacers.
During that 1997–98 season, Williams was named an All-Star. He was the best in the league for offensive rebounds. He also ranked high in total rebounds and rebounds per game.
Career-Ending Injury
Jayson Williams' basketball career ended suddenly on April 1, 1999. He broke his right leg during a game against the Atlanta Hawks. This happened when he collided with his teammate Stephon Marbury.
The next day, Williams had surgery on his leg. A plate and five screws were put in. He missed the entire 1999–2000 season. On June 28, 2000, he officially announced his retirement. He was 32 years old and had played for 11 seasons.
At the time of his injury, Williams had a big contract. In 2005, he briefly returned to play. He joined the Idaho Stampede in the Continental Basketball Association.
Beyond Basketball
After his NBA career, Jayson Williams explored other interests.
Indoor Lacrosse
Williams became the main owner of the New Jersey Storm. This was a team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team played for two seasons, in 2002 and 2003.
After that, the team moved to Anaheim, California. It became known as the Anaheim Storm. However, the team stopped operating before the 2006 season began.
Books Written
Jayson Williams has also written books. In December 2018, he published a book called Crashing: A Memoir.
Legacy and Recognition
In 2022, St. John's University announced a special honor for Williams. They plan to induct him into their athletics Hall of Fame. This recognizes his great contributions to their basketball program.
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–91 | Philadelphia | 52 | 1 | 9.8 | .447 | .500 | .661 | 2.1 | .3 | .2 | .1 | 3.5 |
| 1991–92 | Philadelphia | 50 | 8 | 12.9 | .364 | — | .636 | 2.9 | .2 | .4 | .4 | 4.1 |
| 1992–93 | New Jersey | 12 | 2 | 11.6 | .457 | — | .389 | 3.4 | .0 | .3 | .3 | 4.1 |
| 1993–94 | New Jersey | 70 | 0 | 12.5 | .427 | — | .605 | 3.8 | .4 | .2 | .5 | 4.6 |
| 1994–95 | New Jersey | 75 | 6 | 13.1 | .461 | .000 | .533 | 5.7 | .5 | .3 | .4 | 4.8 |
| 1995–96 | New Jersey | 80 | 6 | 23.2 | .423 | .286 | .592 | 10.0 | .6 | .4 | .7 | 9.0 |
| 1996–97 | New Jersey | 41 | 40 | 34.9 | .409 | .000 | .590 | 13.5 | 1.2 | .6 | .9 | 13.4 |
| 1997–98 | New Jersey | 65 | 65 | 36.0 | .498 | .000 | .666 | 13.6 | 1.0 | .7 | .8 | 12.9 |
| 1998–99 | New Jersey | 30 | 30 | 34.0 | .445 | .000 | .565 | 12.0 | 1.1 | .8 | 2.0 | 8.1 |
| Career | 475 | 158 | 20.6 | .440 | .125 | .606 | 7.5 | .6 | .4 | .6 | 7.3 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 19.0 | .667 | — | — | 10.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 4.0 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Philadelphia | 4 | 0 | 2.5 | .800 | — | — | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
| 1994 | New Jersey | 2 | 0 | 8.5 | .000 | — | .500 | 1.5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .5 |
| 1998 | New Jersey | 3 | 2 | 38.7 | .429 | — | .500 | 14.0 | 1.7 | .7 | 1.0 | 7.0 |
| Career | 9 | 2 | 15.9 | .448 | — | .500 | 5.4 | .6 | .2 | .3 | 3.3 | |
See also
In Spanish: Jayson Williams para niños
