In 2002, Williams accidentally shot and killed Costas Gus Christofi, a 55-year-old limo driver, and then tried to cover up the incident. "[12], Despite his NBA success, Williams preferred to stay out of the spotlight and live a low-key lifestyle, spending time with his family. District Attorney, Hunterdon County. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Officers arrived at the scene at the home of former New Jersey Nets basketball star Jayson Williams.Individuals at the estate directed police to an upstairs bedroom. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. He said he now starts his day at 4 am and "just keeps busy" helping others by working with the Rebound program. Due to consistently poor results, as well as its presence in tough markets, the Storm failed to make much of an impression and it became defunct before the start of the 2006 season. For example, he played on two teams in Memphis that only won 28 and 23 games in consecutive years. He had one legal mess after another. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Following his retirement, Williams was charged in 2002 with the accidental shooting death of a limousine driver. Martin first met Williams at Bible study in 2002. He was eligible for parole in 18 months. The New York Post reported that Williams was aiming a shotgun at Gus, while giving a tour of his 30,000-square-foot (2,800m2) home when he fired the weapon, killing Christofi. Meanwhile, the conversation sort of skimmed right over the fact that Tristan Vizcaino was re-signed to the roster this offseason, and Jerry didn't sound too fired up about . Williams started his career with the Sacramento Kings being drafted 7th overall in the 1998 draft out of Florida. In 1996-97, he averaged a career-high 13.4 points despite shooting an underwhelming 40.9% from the field. [7] That season, Williams had a career year, leading the league in offensive rebounds and offensive rebound percentage while also finishing the season in the top five in total rebounds, rebounds per game, total rebound percentage and offensive rating. This was unusual because it was called in to 911 as a suicide, said Errickson. Former standout point guard Jay Williams, roundly considered one of the most prolific college basketball players in history, is an NBA analyst on ESPN's longstanding NBA pregame show NBA Countdown.. The lack of information in Williams attorneys statement raised more red flags. Known as one of the best passers in the league, Williams was often over-shadowed by other league stars in their prime. Jayson Williams was a highly regarded person in Hunterdon County, but his personal memoir revealed a darker side. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Investigators leaned on the witnesses in the home by filing obstruction of justice charges. Officers stunned him with the taser and took him to a hospital. Police learned that Williams invited his guests to see his gun collection. Williams played in all 82 games for the Magic that year, including 18 starts when Jameer Nelson was injured. Well before the tragic death of Costas Christofi, Jayson Williams had suffered tremendously himself. And those non-highlight plays were rough to watch at times. 2023 COLD WIRE MEDIA. He had two double-doubles: one against Phoenix and one against the Bucks; both were 21-point, 10-assist performances. Its hard to imagine anyone going through what Williams endured in his younger days, but he still managed to find a way to become a top-notch father. On April 30, 2004, the jury found Jayson Williams guilty of covering up the crime but were deadlocked on the reckless manslaughter charge. Gee, those were the best times. [17] The team relocated to Memphis, Tennessee several weeks after the trade. Im learning, but its like molasses in the wintertime.. [27] Orlando was also located just south of Gainesville, where he had gone to college. Williams also received an All-Star game selection, playing in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. I got out of jail and went, [Bleep], I cant get a job, said Williams, who admitted he held the unrealistic expectation that NBC would call, wanting him back. I hadnt heard much about it outside a traditional place like in Utah where they do wilderness therapy, said Cody Smith, LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor), who has 15 years of experience in the field and is the clinician director at the facility, overseeing therapeutic services. In winter 2021, the pair secretly welcomed a baby named Arlo, though the news of their . And I don't want to see anybody in a cage, man. Yeah I had fights," he shared. He regularly attempted, and mostly completed, passes such as behind-the back, no-look and half-court. Williams frequently references his late father, E.J., and some of the folksy logic and advice (If you wake up and think you know it all, youve got a problem) he imparted. He was never criminally charged in either case. Some witnesses say Williams almost immediately began tampering with the scene to make it appear that Christofi killed himself while the rest of the group had been elsewhere in the house. He was released on $250,000 cash bail. [35] The rest of the season was fully guaranteed, with a player option for the second year of the contract. [10], Following his suspension by the University of Florida, Williams decided to make himself eligible for the NBA draft. Enter a date in the format M/D (e.g., 1/1), Former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams indicted for manslaughter, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/former-nba-all-star-indicted, Over 2,000 protesters occupy the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant construction site in New Hampshire, Babe Didrikson Zaharias wins final LPGA tournament of her career, Gloria Steinem publishes part one of "A Bunny's Tale" in SHOW magazine, Labor organizer and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez begins hunger strike, The U.S. destroys Spanish Pacific fleet in Battle of Manila Bay, First-ever Great Exhibition opens in London, International Congress of Women adopts resolutions on peace, womens suffrage, Adventurer and performer Calamity Jane is born, American U-2 spy plane shot down over Soviet Union. Jayson Williams can still display the same wit, humor and larger than life personality that made him a fan favorite in the NBA. Curtis showed up with, What would Jesus do? and Charles showed up with an aluminum baseball bat, Williams told The Post in a hour-long phone interview. While with the Nets, Williams only earned 12 starts in his first three seasons with the team before finally earning a full-time starting position in the 199697 season. Williams and Dreymon's on-set chemistry translated off-screen, and they started dating at the end of 2019. That year, Williams' number 55 jersey was among the top five sellers of all NBA players. AP. Jason Chandler Williams (born November 18, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for twelve seasons during the late 1990s and 2000s. [25] On August 19, 2009, Williams signed with the Orlando Magic. He is very private when it comes to personal matters, but he has been candid in expressing how important his family is to him. Williams continues to be one of the most popular players in the Sacramento area. They found that the gun had been wiped clean. After dinner, Christofi drove them all back to the Williams'. In 2006, Williams won an NBA championship as the starting point guard for the Miami Heat. Even though hes battled his way to sobriety since his playing days, he suffered many challenges in his younger years. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! taken his own life. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The final season premiere brought up a lot of thoughts for viewers who had . That bothers meThe cover-up was selfishnessme trying to protect myself.. Rather than dwell on the harsh realities, he dives deeper into his calling. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Totally understandable. The fatal shooting occurred in the bedroom of Williams home. His quest to be a better person is virtually all-consuming. [28], A third book, Crashing: A Memoir, was published in December 2018. I've never seen a newbie go to jail and not cry the first two months every night, scream and have to get suicide prevention in front of his cell." After joining the New Jersey Nets, Jayson Williams set the NBA world alight. I caused a lot of pain to my family, to Mr. Christofis family, to people that love me, said Williams, an All-Star in 1998, 21 years or, another lifetime ago. Once you can overcome that one, you can usually face about anything.. The Nets had just made their first playoff appearance since the 1993-94 season. Ohio State quarterback C.J. He was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter but was convicted on four counts of trying to cover up the shooting. Jason Williams (@55buckets) May 22, 2020. Dog Shirt, who has pledged to eat a printed out photo of Segel's face every day until . So he endures a robust, rigorous schedule now. A New York judge ordered him to wear an electronic bracelet that monitors perspiration to detect whether alcohol has been consumed. These players included: Steve Nash, Stephon Marbury, Vince Carter, Steve Francis, and Kobe Bryant. He is of Polish, Italian and African-American descent. The group was driven by limo back to the house and Williams was showing off his gun collection, according to ESPN. Dec 5, 2016 Former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams says he was "being a coward" when he tried covering up the drunken "terrible accident" in which he shot his limousine driver to death, he told. The team improved by a franchise record 28 wins in Brown's first season. "He wanted to play with me and I wanted to play with a guard who loves to pass and I think it'll be a good combination for myself and [guard] Dwyane Wade. He would serve as the third leading scorer for Miami averaging 12.3 points a game, only trailed Wade with 4.9 assists per contest and was one of three players on the team with over 100 three-point baskets for the season. The Nets star Wednesday morning claimed ESPN analyst Jay Williams lied on national television about an apparent encounter they had at a holiday party years. The following season, on October 31, 1997, Williams set a franchise record with 17 offensive rebounds (20 total) in an opening night 97-95 win over the Indiana Pacers.