Player Profile
Early in his career, Williams built a reputation for an unorthodox, "street" style of play. He became a regular on SportsCenter for his spectacular passes and dazzling assists. He regularly attempted, and mostly completed passes such as behind-the back, no-look and half-court. Popular user-generated video Internet sites contain many "home-made" highlight videos dedicated solely to Williams's highlights. He was also known for taking spectacular three-point shots that drove home-audiences wild. With his risky play, he at times was turnover-prone: in his second and fourth years, he peaked at over 3.5 per game. His playing style led Williams to be benched during crucial periods of some games. For example, in the 2000 NBA Playoffs, Williams sat out most of the fourth quarter in all five games against the Lakers.
In his later years with Memphis and Miami, he significantly tamed his extravagant playing style and consistently achieved one of the highest assists per turnover ratios in the NBA.
In the Rookie Challenge of the NBA All-Star Weekend in 2000, Williams made a seemingly impossible behind-his-back pass off the elbow on a full sprint to Raef LaFrentz. "I did it so you all wouldn't ask me to ever do it again," Williams said.
Read more about this topic: Jason Williams (basketball, Born 1975)
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