Jayson Williams

Jayson Williams (born February 22, 1968 in Ritter, South Carolina) is an American basketball player. Standing at 6'10, he played college basketball for St. John's University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1990.

Biography

Williams was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round (21st pick overall) of the 1990 NBA Draft. His draft rights were ultimately traded by the Suns to the Philadelphia 76ers for a 1993 first-round draft choice on October 28, 1990. He was then traded by the 76ers to the New Jersey Nets for conditional draft choices on October 8, 1992.

Related Topics:
Phoenix Suns - NBA Draft - 1993 - October 28 - New Jersey Nets - October 8 - 1992

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Also in 1992, Williams was accused of smashing a beer mug over a patron's head at a Chicago bar. Two years later, he was accused of firing a semiautomatic weapon into the parking lot at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

Related Topics:
Chicago - Meadowlands Sports Complex

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the spring of 2004, he was tried on charges related to the killing of 55 year old limousine driver Costas Christofi at his estate in New Jersey on February 14, 2002. Christofi had been hired to drive Williams' friends from a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania charity event to the mansion, about 30 miles northwest of Trenton, New Jersey. Published reports have said Williams was playfully twirling a shotgun while giving a tour of his 30,000-square-foot home when the weapon fired, hitting Christofi. At the time of Christofi's death, Williams was working as a studio analyst for The NBA on NBC.

Related Topics:
2004 - New Jersey - February 14 - 2002 - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania - Trenton, New Jersey - The NBA on NBC

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That April, he was acquitted of the most serious charges against him, but the jury deadlocked on a charge of reckless manslaughter, and he currently faces a retrial on that charge. He also faces trial on four charges related to his alleged attempts to cover up the circumstances of the driver's death. News of the shooting was shocking because Williams had an easygoing and humorous reputation. In 2004, Williams was acquitted on all charges and, in January, 2005, he began to play professionally again in the Continental Basketball Association.

Related Topics:
Jury - Manslaughter - 2004 - January - 2005 - Continental Basketball Association

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2000, Williams co-wrote with journalist Steve Friedman Loose Balls: Easy Money, Hard Fouls, Cheap Laughs, and True Love in the NBA (ISBN 0767905695). In the autobiography, Williams claimed that he almost shot New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet while firing a large handgun on his skeet-shooting range.

Related Topics:
2000 - Steve Friedman - New York Jets - Wayne Chrebet

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~