Basketball
| Born: | June 26, 1984 Parkersburg, WV |
|---|---|
| Hometown: | The Colony, TX |
| Residence: | Salt Lake City, UT |
| Ht: / Wt: | 6'3" / 205 lbs |
| Event(s): | Men's basketball |
| Position: | Point guard |
Deron's debut
One of three point guards on the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team, Deron Williams will make his Olympic debut in Beijing. His first appearance with the senior national team came last summer at the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament, where the U.S. went 10-0 and qualified for the 2008 Games. Williams played in all 10 of the team's games, averaging 4.7 points, 1.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists (tied for second on the team) in 14.3 minutes per game. He made 19 of 31 field goals (61.3 percent) including five of 10 from 3-point range.
Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images Deron Williams will make his Olympic debut alongside one of his favorite players, Jason Kidd.
No Kidding?
Williams lists Jason Kidd -- who was his teammate last summer and will be again in Beijing -- as one of his favorite players because of the way he plays. After his Team USA debut at the FIBA Americas tournament, Williams was grateful to have played with some of the NBA's best. "It was an honor for me to be on the team with the caliber of guys that I was playing with," Williams says. "I got great workouts everyday and got to learn from some of the best coaches in the game. And I won a gold medal for my country, so I'm definitely very proud of that."
Keeping pace with Paul
Williams was taken in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz with the third overall pick, one spot ahead of Chris Paul, who also will be Williams' teammate on the 2008 Olympic team. Since they came into the league together and play the same position, the two are regularly compared. Paul won the 2006 Rookie of the Year award in a landslide; the one first-place vote Williams received was the only one that didn't go to Paul. But both have enjoyed very successful pro careers in just three seasons. Williams has led the Jazz to the postseason the past two years, in which he started each of the 191 games he's played. In 2007-08, he averaged career-highs in points (18.8) and assists (10.5), the latter of which was good for third in the NBA.
Impressive at Illinois
A star at Illinois for three years before entering the NBA, Williams was the school's highest NBA draft pick ever. He left as the school's career assists leader in NCAA Tournament action (78 in 11 games) and second all-time in career assists (594). His 264 assists his junior year (2004-05) also set a school record for assists in a season. Williams played in all but three games while at Illinois, as he led the school to an 88-16 overall record and three NCAA Tournament appearances. After a 37-2 record in 2004-05, the team advanced to the NCAA title game, but lost to North Carolina. Williams was named to the 2005 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team and the All-American second team.
Texas two-sport
Before Illinois, Williams was a two-time Texas Association of Basketball Coaches First-Team All-State selection while in high school at The Colony High School in The Colony, Texas. But prior to basketball in high school, Williams wrestled from the age of 5 until he was in the seventh grade.
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