Deron Williams

Deron Michael Williams ( ) (born June 26, 1984), nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League. Prior to playing for Beşiktaş, Williams played for the Utah Jazz and the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is still under contract with the Nets, but he signed with Beşiktaş because of the 2011 NBA lockout. Williams was drafted 3rd overall in the 2005 draft by the Utah Jazz, for whom he played before being traded in the middle of his sixth season to the Nets. He is a two-time All-Star and a gold medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Williams played college basketball at the University of Illinois.

Early life and high school athletics

In elementary school and middle school, Williams won two state wrestling championships. In 1993, as an eight-year-old, he won the 67 lb. weight class Texas State championship. Four years later in 1997, he won the twelve-year-old 116 lb. weight class championship. Williams attended The Colony High School in The Colony, Texas and averaged 17 points, 9.4 assists, and 2 steals per game as a junior in 2001. That year he led his team, the Cougars, to a 32–2 record and the Class 5A state semifinals against Bryan High. In 2002, as a senior, he averaged 17.6 points, 8.5 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game. His team, the Cougars, went 29–2 that...
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