THE JASON ROSS & DOUG CHRISTIE SHOW
Former Kings Guard Jason Williams Joins The Jason Ross & Doug Christie Show
May 20, 2021, 4:59 PM | Updated: 7:08 pm
This week on The Jason Ross & Doug Christie Show, former Sacramento Kings star guard Jason Williams joined the show to catch up with the guys, talk hoops and more.
Interview with former Kings guard and 2006 NBA champion Jason Williams begins at the 12:45 mark
Williams came into the NBA as a rookie in 1998 under first-year Kings coach Rick Adelman, who was recently named as a member of the 2021 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class.
On playing under Adelman, J-WIll had nothing but praise for the Hall of Fame coach that encouraged Williams to be himself on the floor.
“Rick Adelman was very vital to what I have done in my life on the basketball floor,” Williams said on Thursday. “In my first ever game that I ever played in San Antonio, Rick pulled me to the side right before we rolled on out to the court and he said, ‘Jason, listen. If you come down and throw one behind your back and it goes out of bounds, don’t worry about that. Next time, try it with your left hand.’ And man, I’ll tell you…that’s all I needed to hear.”
Williams, who was selected by Sacramento with the seventh pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, played for the franchise from 1998-2001. The guard’s flashy play and unbelievable passing made the number 55 jersey one of the most popular in the league during his three seasons in a Kings uniform.
The black number-55 jersey is still one of the frequently seen Kings jerseys around Golden 1 Center on game nights.
On his connection to the Kings fanbase, Williams made it clear that he will always have love for Sacramento.
“I related to those people well and I think that they related to me. I think that they also knew deep down that I just wanted to go out and win. Whatever it took to win, that was what I was willing to do, whether it was have 16 turnovers tonight or 16 assists, as long as we got that W I didn’t care about none of them turnovers. I want to think that the people out there appreciated that.”
Throughout the course of the interview, Williams goes on to explain his welcome to the NBA moment, the most memorable pass of his career, what it was like to go to Chris Webber’s house for the first time and much more.
To listen to the entire interview with former Sacramento Kings guard Jason Williams, click the “play” button on the audio file located at the top of this page.
For full episodes of The Jason Ross & Doug Christie Show, click here.