The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/976701
82 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ PACK PROS C.J. Williams Earns Multi-Year NBA Deal RYAN TICE T hanks to former NC State head coach Jim Valvano, the slogan "Don't ever give up" and Wolfpack basketball have become synonymous. There aren't many who embody the saying better than former Pack basketball player C.J. Williams. After five years of playing overseas and in the NBA developmental league (once called the D League, now named the G League), the 28-year-old played well enough in the preseason to finally get his chance on the big stage this season via a two-way contract between the Los Angeles Clippers and their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, Calif. The Fayetteville, N.C., native made his NBA debut Nov. 10, when he played six seconds against the Thunder and then appeared in 21 seconds of a game later that week. His first meaningful time came Nov. 18, when he logged eight minutes, pulled down four rebounds and scored two points. He earned more playing time and ap- peared in each of the next 26 games, spending most of his time in the NBA, although there were two brief returns to the G League. Despite a minor ankle injury in January, which he rehabbed from exclusively with the G League affiliate, Williams continued to be shuttled between the pros and the minors through March 2, when he reached the maximum allowable days in the NBA (45) for the two-way contract. The 6-5 swingman had some memorable moments that would have lasted a lifetime if that was it for his NBA career. He scored a career-high 18 points in 29 minutes of a 113-105 win over Memphis Jan. 2. On Jan. 8, he hit a game-winning three-pointer with 9.1 seconds left to cap a 15-point night against the Hawks. In the game against Atlanta, he also had four steals, three rebounds, two blocks and two assists in 37 minutes, and tied a career high by hitting three three-pointers (on just four attempts). However, with his maximum NBA al- lowable time nearly used up on the two- way deal and his recovery complete from an ankle sprain, he began to log minutes in the G League once again in mid-February. When he returned to the lower level, it showed he was now used to a higher level of competition — in his final 10 G League games, which stretched from Feb. 11 In 38 games with the Los Angeles Clippers, Williams started 18 times and averaged 5.5 points per contest. PHOTO COURTESY LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS