JAY WILLIAMS
Position: PG
Born: 09/10/81, Age: 23
Height: 6-2 / 1,88
Weight: 195 lbs. / 88,5 kg.
College: Duke '03
Year
02-03
Games 75
Games started 54
MPG 26.1
FG % .399
3P % .322
FT % .640
RPG 2.60
APG 4.7
SPG 1.15
BPG .23
TO 2.28
PF 2.40
PPG 9.5
Showed potential as a scorer and distributor in rookie NBA season. Named NBA got milk? Rookie of the Month in December after averaging 11.6 ppg and 6.3 apg, shooting .425 from the floor and .340 from the free throw line. Aveveraged 13.1 ppg and 4.9 apg, shot .594 from the floor, .688 from three-point range and .800 from the free throw line over the final eight games of 2002-03. Named to 2002-03 got milk? NBA All-Rookie Second Team
A member of the 2001 Duke national championship basketball team, 22 year-old guard Jay Williams quickly found success in the NBA after being drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the second overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft. The one-time Naismith and Wooden College Player of the Year, Williams averaged 9.5 points per game and 4.7 assists per game during his rookie season, earning him a spot on the got milk? NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Sitting out this season due to injury, Williams will share his thoughts on the league and chronicle his comeback to the basketball court after a fateful motorcycle accident on June 19, 2003 left him with career-threatening injuries to his leg and pelvis.
JAW WILLIAMS BLOG http://www.nba.com/blog/blog11.html
Posted by Jay Williams - Dec 10 2004 1:57PM
My Last Surgery
This week marks the beginning of the end of my long rehabilitation.
I just had a surgery on my left foot, so the bad news is that I'm kind of hurting right now. The good news is that it was my last surgery. So right now my leg is elevated after the tube was taken out of it.
They had to do a tendon transfer. That was the reason that I was having a hard time running, because the nerve that helps your foot move up and down basically got severed. If I didn't have my brace on, I was walking so that my foot was basically dragging on the ground. What the tendon transfer did was take a tendon on the inside of my foot that use to pull my foot in and move that to the top of my foot to give me the ability to pick my foot up on my own again.
So, I had a nice little two hour surgery on Tuesday and I've just kind of been laying low ever since. I'm in a soft cast now, and it will be that way for two weeks, then I will go to a hard cast for about four weeks. Then its straight out to the wolves again - playing basketball, running without a brace on. I will then have eight months before that time next year when it is my time.
Mentally, I'm feeling great right now, mostly because this week the doctors said my knee is back to 98%, they said it is "rock solid". The doctor was also pleased with how the surgery went, so everything is leaning in the right direction.
I've been working so hard for so long to finally get to this point right now, where all of my surgeries have been completed and it will just be about me taking my shot. I finally got here and I've just got to keep taking strides to try to make it end up the best way it can.
But even in my time off the court, I keep busy. Along with my interest in broadcasting and working with ESPN, I've also been preparing for the Series 6 Exam (for sales of Mutual Funds and Variable Annuities). Once I'm in the hard cast I will be able to start working some games for ESPN, but I'm in a very fragile state right now in the soft cast.
I'll be able to go home to New Jersey for Christmas, so that's nice. I will have some free time for a few weeks, but I learned my lesson a few years ago when I had some free time and I rode a motorcycle. This time, I'm going to stick to reading and watching TV and getting caught up in the little things in life that I miss doing so much. Have a great holiday season. Give thanks for every little thing that you have.
Posted by Jay Williams - Jan 3 2005 9:53AM
High Hopes for '05
I hope everyone had a good holiday season. I am doing fine after having my last surgery on my left foot, but I'm just real anxious. I have a black cast on it right now, so I am just kind-of waiting around to get this thing off and get moving when I get home on the fifth.
I've been out of commission for about the past week and a half, so I just have to stay patient and lay low for a few more days. I know that I can't rush this one, so I'm only working out all the other parts of my body, so that when it is ready I can push it as hard as I can.
Upper body workouts have been a consistent routine, but as far as the lower body goes, there's just not much for me to do.
Like everyone else I had to watch the whole Kobe-Shaq reunion, and I
thought it was kind of funny considering how Shaq has a way of translating things onto TV. Individually, you give it to Kobe because he had a phenomenal game, but the funny thing is that in these situations, the better team wins. Everybody could have a great player, but if the organization doesn't get the best players around him, then the team is not going to do as well. Being a point guard, I'd rather have a big guy like Shaq - he's irreplaceable. Kobe's irreplaceable too, don't get me wrong, but the things that Shaq brings - scoring, defense, rebounding, defense, passion are too much
to ever give up.Dwyane Wade is a great talent, and the addition of Christian Laettner has been great for them too.
I think the Heat can win the East, especially if the core guys stay healthy. There are a few teams that come close, but even Detroit has been a little lackluster thus far, so I think Miami is hands-down the best in the East. If the Pistons can get it clicking, I'd really look forward to that series.
I watched some of the Indiana-Detroit game too, but I don't think that the Pacers can overcome all of their missing parts at this point.
Off the court, I've still been working on other things, like studying for a Series 6 Exam. If you saw this book I am reading, called 'Series 6, Securities and Equities' you'd know that it's going to take awhile, but I am about three-fourths of the way done. I will take my time with that, because the better understanding of the book I have, the better off I'll be. The goal is to pass the test and get a license.
I am on calls every other morning with the company I am with in New York, listening to what they have to say about the market. I am still working on the jargon, but I understand the gist of it most of the time. It's always about what is going with on with stocks, bonds, certain trades, the value of the dollar.
Also, I will be working with ESPN soon, but right now it's too much of a risk for me to travel like this. I'll be doing games in a few weeks. I've been practicing by watching games and reading up on some of the teams I expect.
But trust me, my first priority right now is to basketball and my body. Hopefully, this is my year to make it happen. Happy New Year!
Posted by Jay Williams - Feb 9 2005 3:58PM
My All-Star Observations
Hey everyone, it's been a while.
We've just about reached the half way point of the season and that means it's time for the All-Star Game. Here are some of my midseason observations:
LeBron James is the best player in the NBA right now, but I think Steve Nash is the Most Valuable Player in the NBA. There's a big difference between the two. LeBron is 6-8, he has amazing ability to pass the ball, he sees the whole court and has the ability to dominate a game. He's been working on his outside jump shot too, so I'd say he's the most gifted player in the league other than KG.
But then when you talk about value to a team, last year was a horrible one for Phoenix. Steve Nash arrives and suddenly they have the best record in the West. I watched some of their games that he missed this season, and it's clear they need him. Without him in the lineup, there's no continuity to their offense - Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson don't have the same kind of flow without Nash. That's the one thing they have to watch out for at playoff time. If Steve gets hurt, I think their chances are slim to none.
That Steve Francis didn't make it the East team really stood out to me. Some names, people see and think All-Star right away. He's obviously a proven name, but guys like Gilbert Arenas have been having a great year. Fans choose the starters and coaches use the reserve spots to choose guys having a great year. Steve-O deserves to be on the team but it looked like it came down to a numbers game.
Other players who didn't make either team include Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury -- great players -- but who would you take off the current team? Same out West. Chris Webber and Elton Brand didn't make it but who would they replace? The fact that no Kings made the team is really surprising. The bottom line is that there are plenty of deserving players for (unfortunately) not enough roster spots.
As anyone could guess, I'm really proud of Grant Hill (my fellow Duke alum) after he overcame injuries to return to play at this level. It shows a lot about his pride that he could have sat around and collected his huge contract. There really wasn't a need for him to come back to play professional basketball because he was pretty much set for the rest of his life. He almost lost his wife Tamia from Multiple Sclerosis and he realized that basketball wasn't the most important thing. And that's when it clicked.
It's kind of like when you're looking for a set keys. You get really stressed when you have somewhere to go and you can't find them. It's when you're done looking for them that you find them.
Grant has a terrific work ethic, and such a passion to get back to the game. He really wanted it. I'm just so happy for him. I'm sure he realizes that this is just extra gravy for him, to play at this level again. As long as he has his daughter and his wife, he's a happy guy.
As someone who has gone through an injury, it's a tough thing to deal with people asking you about coming back every single day, as well as having others just write you off. You just need to be patient.
Seeing Grant do this has been even more of an inspiration to me than you can imagine.
In terms of my own rehab, I'm finally out of the boot after my last surgery a few months back. I still have a little bit of a limp right now, because my foot is still weak. But I realize it's a slow process, and I am taking my time to do this properly. You don't realize how many times you pick your foot up throughout a day. I've just been building up that stamina.
I can't overstrain my body, which is really hard because I am only used to working my body at full force.
I've been doing some broadcasting work for ESPN now, and it helps me me learn more and more about basketball - I just can't wait to get back on the court. Covering and watching games has been great for me, especially being a point guard. I think my knowledge of the game is so much greater now and I just want to have a chance to share that with people when I come back and play.
I've done four games, and this Saturday I'll be doing Missouri vs. Oklahoma State this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
I love broadcasting games but I know that it still can't take away from my rehab. My boss has been very good about that. I definitely have a new type of appreciation of the amount of work that coaches, reporters and those behind the scenes do from game to game. As a player, you read the scouting reports and you see what your opponent is likely to do and that's about it. When you're broadcasting a game, you see things more from a coach's point of view. You get to know everything about everybody. It's like preparing for a final exam. As an analyst, it's your job to tell why something might, did or didn't happen. I know the game a lot better already.
Just like everything my life nowadays, it's all about patience. After all, it worked for Grant Hill.
Posted by Jay Williams - Apr 30 2005 10:40AM
Teams Are Contacting Me ....
Hello out there in cyber land ... You'll have to excuse my Blog Squad hiatus .. I've been focusing on my rehab, which I have been making some real progress and want to share with all of you .. I have made the move to Chicago to focus on my rehab full time. I made the conversion to working with trainer extraordinaire Tim Grover about three weeks ago. Tim trained one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He trained Michael Jordan. Every morning when I get there at 7, Mike is there and he motivates me. He pushes me and asks me how I'm doing. The thing I love about Tim is he's an up-front and candid kind of guy. He's going to tell you how it is. I initially went up to Chicago about a month ago to work out, test the waters. I had never really been put through a real workout with Tim before. I had done stuff with therapists where I'd work on my shot, but from a basketball standpoint with a trainer, I hadn't really gone through a lot of the detailed basketball drills that required a lot cutting and movement. He put me through those and I was so scared my first day. The thing I heard about T-Grove is that he'll tell you if he thinks you can do it or not. He's honest with you. He came up to me and said, "You'll be back by this October." As I mentioned, I was initially scared but when he said that to me, I started smiling. He keeps you on your toes because the next day, he told my agent, "There's no way this guy's going to make it to the league." He tells it like it is. It only makes me more determined. I can appreciate that a lot. He believes in me and I believe in me and that just boosts my confidence so much more.
I met with my orthopedic doctor on Thursday, and I got cleared for my knee. This is a huge for me. I'm so much further along than people ever, ever thought I'd be. Even though I'm doing drills, running, shooting, I haven't done the full-blown running because Tim and I still think I have a little weakness in my left leg which is what we're working on every day.
Teams hear I'm working out with Tim Grover and they're interested in me which is an awesome feeling. Next year, I will be playing. Count on it. It pumped me up for the Toronto Raptors to call and see how I am. I received some other calls from some other teams. It means a lot to me. I think teams are realizing that my comeback is not just talk. It's not me working out from a remote location overseas and saying, "Hey, I'm doing great. I'm going to come back and play again. You'll see." Now, I have a world-renowned trainer who believes in me and who says I'm going to play again as well. Now, people are saying, "Wow, this kid is going to play again." No teams have come to visit me or watch me work out. I'm going to try to get my leg a lot stronger in the summer and by the end of the summer we're going to hold a workout for teams to see me play. I want to make sure that when I step in front of these guys and get evaluated, I want to make sure I'm in the best possible position to succeed.
I'm extremely happy the Bulls are doing well. My rookie year I got into this whole blown-up thing. After a game was over, I made a couple comments where I stated that they needed to get some different players in here. The fans of Chicago deserve a lot more because it's a hard-working city and they deserve a hard-working team. They deserve a coach everybody believes in. I said all this stuff and I got ripped for it. The media blasted me for everything I said. Now I look back on the situation and the reason why I'm happy for them is they've got all these guys who are good, quality guys from good backgrounds. They have a coach, Scott Skiles, who they believe in and who isn't really the nicest guy, which I love, because you need to have a coach who doesn't care and is going to fight for you as much as you fight for him. He's going to be by your side. Even though they don't have an All-Star-caliber guy on that team, I think they represent Chicago to the best of its ability right now. They're a hardworking team who's going to give you everything they have. Their success thus far has been a joy to watch. Should there be a Game 5 in Chicago on Wednesday, I'll be there at the United Center rooting for those guys.
Position: PG
Born: 09/10/81, Age: 23
Height: 6-2 / 1,88
Weight: 195 lbs. / 88,5 kg.
College: Duke '03
Year
02-03
Games 75
Games started 54
MPG 26.1
FG % .399
3P % .322
FT % .640
RPG 2.60
APG 4.7
SPG 1.15
BPG .23
TO 2.28
PF 2.40
PPG 9.5
Showed potential as a scorer and distributor in rookie NBA season. Named NBA got milk? Rookie of the Month in December after averaging 11.6 ppg and 6.3 apg, shooting .425 from the floor and .340 from the free throw line. Aveveraged 13.1 ppg and 4.9 apg, shot .594 from the floor, .688 from three-point range and .800 from the free throw line over the final eight games of 2002-03. Named to 2002-03 got milk? NBA All-Rookie Second Team
A member of the 2001 Duke national championship basketball team, 22 year-old guard Jay Williams quickly found success in the NBA after being drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the second overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft. The one-time Naismith and Wooden College Player of the Year, Williams averaged 9.5 points per game and 4.7 assists per game during his rookie season, earning him a spot on the got milk? NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Sitting out this season due to injury, Williams will share his thoughts on the league and chronicle his comeback to the basketball court after a fateful motorcycle accident on June 19, 2003 left him with career-threatening injuries to his leg and pelvis.
JAW WILLIAMS BLOG http://www.nba.com/blog/blog11.html
Posted by Jay Williams - Dec 10 2004 1:57PM
My Last Surgery
This week marks the beginning of the end of my long rehabilitation.
I just had a surgery on my left foot, so the bad news is that I'm kind of hurting right now. The good news is that it was my last surgery. So right now my leg is elevated after the tube was taken out of it.
They had to do a tendon transfer. That was the reason that I was having a hard time running, because the nerve that helps your foot move up and down basically got severed. If I didn't have my brace on, I was walking so that my foot was basically dragging on the ground. What the tendon transfer did was take a tendon on the inside of my foot that use to pull my foot in and move that to the top of my foot to give me the ability to pick my foot up on my own again.
So, I had a nice little two hour surgery on Tuesday and I've just kind of been laying low ever since. I'm in a soft cast now, and it will be that way for two weeks, then I will go to a hard cast for about four weeks. Then its straight out to the wolves again - playing basketball, running without a brace on. I will then have eight months before that time next year when it is my time.
Mentally, I'm feeling great right now, mostly because this week the doctors said my knee is back to 98%, they said it is "rock solid". The doctor was also pleased with how the surgery went, so everything is leaning in the right direction.
I've been working so hard for so long to finally get to this point right now, where all of my surgeries have been completed and it will just be about me taking my shot. I finally got here and I've just got to keep taking strides to try to make it end up the best way it can.
But even in my time off the court, I keep busy. Along with my interest in broadcasting and working with ESPN, I've also been preparing for the Series 6 Exam (for sales of Mutual Funds and Variable Annuities). Once I'm in the hard cast I will be able to start working some games for ESPN, but I'm in a very fragile state right now in the soft cast.
I'll be able to go home to New Jersey for Christmas, so that's nice. I will have some free time for a few weeks, but I learned my lesson a few years ago when I had some free time and I rode a motorcycle. This time, I'm going to stick to reading and watching TV and getting caught up in the little things in life that I miss doing so much. Have a great holiday season. Give thanks for every little thing that you have.
Posted by Jay Williams - Jan 3 2005 9:53AM
High Hopes for '05
I hope everyone had a good holiday season. I am doing fine after having my last surgery on my left foot, but I'm just real anxious. I have a black cast on it right now, so I am just kind-of waiting around to get this thing off and get moving when I get home on the fifth.
I've been out of commission for about the past week and a half, so I just have to stay patient and lay low for a few more days. I know that I can't rush this one, so I'm only working out all the other parts of my body, so that when it is ready I can push it as hard as I can.
Upper body workouts have been a consistent routine, but as far as the lower body goes, there's just not much for me to do.
Like everyone else I had to watch the whole Kobe-Shaq reunion, and I
thought it was kind of funny considering how Shaq has a way of translating things onto TV. Individually, you give it to Kobe because he had a phenomenal game, but the funny thing is that in these situations, the better team wins. Everybody could have a great player, but if the organization doesn't get the best players around him, then the team is not going to do as well. Being a point guard, I'd rather have a big guy like Shaq - he's irreplaceable. Kobe's irreplaceable too, don't get me wrong, but the things that Shaq brings - scoring, defense, rebounding, defense, passion are too much
to ever give up.Dwyane Wade is a great talent, and the addition of Christian Laettner has been great for them too.
I think the Heat can win the East, especially if the core guys stay healthy. There are a few teams that come close, but even Detroit has been a little lackluster thus far, so I think Miami is hands-down the best in the East. If the Pistons can get it clicking, I'd really look forward to that series.
I watched some of the Indiana-Detroit game too, but I don't think that the Pacers can overcome all of their missing parts at this point.
Off the court, I've still been working on other things, like studying for a Series 6 Exam. If you saw this book I am reading, called 'Series 6, Securities and Equities' you'd know that it's going to take awhile, but I am about three-fourths of the way done. I will take my time with that, because the better understanding of the book I have, the better off I'll be. The goal is to pass the test and get a license.
I am on calls every other morning with the company I am with in New York, listening to what they have to say about the market. I am still working on the jargon, but I understand the gist of it most of the time. It's always about what is going with on with stocks, bonds, certain trades, the value of the dollar.
Also, I will be working with ESPN soon, but right now it's too much of a risk for me to travel like this. I'll be doing games in a few weeks. I've been practicing by watching games and reading up on some of the teams I expect.
But trust me, my first priority right now is to basketball and my body. Hopefully, this is my year to make it happen. Happy New Year!
Posted by Jay Williams - Feb 9 2005 3:58PM
My All-Star Observations
Hey everyone, it's been a while.
We've just about reached the half way point of the season and that means it's time for the All-Star Game. Here are some of my midseason observations:
LeBron James is the best player in the NBA right now, but I think Steve Nash is the Most Valuable Player in the NBA. There's a big difference between the two. LeBron is 6-8, he has amazing ability to pass the ball, he sees the whole court and has the ability to dominate a game. He's been working on his outside jump shot too, so I'd say he's the most gifted player in the league other than KG.
But then when you talk about value to a team, last year was a horrible one for Phoenix. Steve Nash arrives and suddenly they have the best record in the West. I watched some of their games that he missed this season, and it's clear they need him. Without him in the lineup, there's no continuity to their offense - Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson don't have the same kind of flow without Nash. That's the one thing they have to watch out for at playoff time. If Steve gets hurt, I think their chances are slim to none.
That Steve Francis didn't make it the East team really stood out to me. Some names, people see and think All-Star right away. He's obviously a proven name, but guys like Gilbert Arenas have been having a great year. Fans choose the starters and coaches use the reserve spots to choose guys having a great year. Steve-O deserves to be on the team but it looked like it came down to a numbers game.
Other players who didn't make either team include Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury -- great players -- but who would you take off the current team? Same out West. Chris Webber and Elton Brand didn't make it but who would they replace? The fact that no Kings made the team is really surprising. The bottom line is that there are plenty of deserving players for (unfortunately) not enough roster spots.
As anyone could guess, I'm really proud of Grant Hill (my fellow Duke alum) after he overcame injuries to return to play at this level. It shows a lot about his pride that he could have sat around and collected his huge contract. There really wasn't a need for him to come back to play professional basketball because he was pretty much set for the rest of his life. He almost lost his wife Tamia from Multiple Sclerosis and he realized that basketball wasn't the most important thing. And that's when it clicked.
It's kind of like when you're looking for a set keys. You get really stressed when you have somewhere to go and you can't find them. It's when you're done looking for them that you find them.
Grant has a terrific work ethic, and such a passion to get back to the game. He really wanted it. I'm just so happy for him. I'm sure he realizes that this is just extra gravy for him, to play at this level again. As long as he has his daughter and his wife, he's a happy guy.
As someone who has gone through an injury, it's a tough thing to deal with people asking you about coming back every single day, as well as having others just write you off. You just need to be patient.
Seeing Grant do this has been even more of an inspiration to me than you can imagine.
In terms of my own rehab, I'm finally out of the boot after my last surgery a few months back. I still have a little bit of a limp right now, because my foot is still weak. But I realize it's a slow process, and I am taking my time to do this properly. You don't realize how many times you pick your foot up throughout a day. I've just been building up that stamina.
I can't overstrain my body, which is really hard because I am only used to working my body at full force.
I've been doing some broadcasting work for ESPN now, and it helps me me learn more and more about basketball - I just can't wait to get back on the court. Covering and watching games has been great for me, especially being a point guard. I think my knowledge of the game is so much greater now and I just want to have a chance to share that with people when I come back and play.
I've done four games, and this Saturday I'll be doing Missouri vs. Oklahoma State this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
I love broadcasting games but I know that it still can't take away from my rehab. My boss has been very good about that. I definitely have a new type of appreciation of the amount of work that coaches, reporters and those behind the scenes do from game to game. As a player, you read the scouting reports and you see what your opponent is likely to do and that's about it. When you're broadcasting a game, you see things more from a coach's point of view. You get to know everything about everybody. It's like preparing for a final exam. As an analyst, it's your job to tell why something might, did or didn't happen. I know the game a lot better already.
Just like everything my life nowadays, it's all about patience. After all, it worked for Grant Hill.
Posted by Jay Williams - Apr 30 2005 10:40AM
Teams Are Contacting Me ....
Hello out there in cyber land ... You'll have to excuse my Blog Squad hiatus .. I've been focusing on my rehab, which I have been making some real progress and want to share with all of you .. I have made the move to Chicago to focus on my rehab full time. I made the conversion to working with trainer extraordinaire Tim Grover about three weeks ago. Tim trained one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He trained Michael Jordan. Every morning when I get there at 7, Mike is there and he motivates me. He pushes me and asks me how I'm doing. The thing I love about Tim is he's an up-front and candid kind of guy. He's going to tell you how it is. I initially went up to Chicago about a month ago to work out, test the waters. I had never really been put through a real workout with Tim before. I had done stuff with therapists where I'd work on my shot, but from a basketball standpoint with a trainer, I hadn't really gone through a lot of the detailed basketball drills that required a lot cutting and movement. He put me through those and I was so scared my first day. The thing I heard about T-Grove is that he'll tell you if he thinks you can do it or not. He's honest with you. He came up to me and said, "You'll be back by this October." As I mentioned, I was initially scared but when he said that to me, I started smiling. He keeps you on your toes because the next day, he told my agent, "There's no way this guy's going to make it to the league." He tells it like it is. It only makes me more determined. I can appreciate that a lot. He believes in me and I believe in me and that just boosts my confidence so much more.
I met with my orthopedic doctor on Thursday, and I got cleared for my knee. This is a huge for me. I'm so much further along than people ever, ever thought I'd be. Even though I'm doing drills, running, shooting, I haven't done the full-blown running because Tim and I still think I have a little weakness in my left leg which is what we're working on every day.
Teams hear I'm working out with Tim Grover and they're interested in me which is an awesome feeling. Next year, I will be playing. Count on it. It pumped me up for the Toronto Raptors to call and see how I am. I received some other calls from some other teams. It means a lot to me. I think teams are realizing that my comeback is not just talk. It's not me working out from a remote location overseas and saying, "Hey, I'm doing great. I'm going to come back and play again. You'll see." Now, I have a world-renowned trainer who believes in me and who says I'm going to play again as well. Now, people are saying, "Wow, this kid is going to play again." No teams have come to visit me or watch me work out. I'm going to try to get my leg a lot stronger in the summer and by the end of the summer we're going to hold a workout for teams to see me play. I want to make sure that when I step in front of these guys and get evaluated, I want to make sure I'm in the best possible position to succeed.
I'm extremely happy the Bulls are doing well. My rookie year I got into this whole blown-up thing. After a game was over, I made a couple comments where I stated that they needed to get some different players in here. The fans of Chicago deserve a lot more because it's a hard-working city and they deserve a hard-working team. They deserve a coach everybody believes in. I said all this stuff and I got ripped for it. The media blasted me for everything I said. Now I look back on the situation and the reason why I'm happy for them is they've got all these guys who are good, quality guys from good backgrounds. They have a coach, Scott Skiles, who they believe in and who isn't really the nicest guy, which I love, because you need to have a coach who doesn't care and is going to fight for you as much as you fight for him. He's going to be by your side. Even though they don't have an All-Star-caliber guy on that team, I think they represent Chicago to the best of its ability right now. They're a hardworking team who's going to give you everything they have. Their success thus far has been a joy to watch. Should there be a Game 5 in Chicago on Wednesday, I'll be there at the United Center rooting for those guys.