Perspectives – A Look Back at the Rise and Fall of Jayson Williams
12. Jan, 2010 
13 Comments
Brittni Michaelis
by Guest Contributor Brittni Michaelis
Jayson Williams, the former first round draft pick and star of the New Jersey Nets, pleaded guilty today to aggravated assault that resulted in the accidental death of his limo driver Costa Christofi in 2002.
Standing at 6’9 and 250 lb., Williams had a successful career with the Nets from 1992-1999, all the while becoming a household name within the sporting world. While he finished his career averaging only 7.3 points a game and 7.5 rebounds, he was loved by fans as the most joyful player in the NBA and was selected to the 1998 Eastern Conference All Star Team. Upon retiring (he was forced to retire in 1999 due to injury) Williams and journalist Steve Friedman co-wrote, Loose Balls: Easy Money, Hard Fouls, Cheap Laughs, and True Love in the NBA, which served as his autobiography.
Even though Williams was prosperous in many of his endeavors, he is no stranger to controversy and has had many run-ins with the law. In 2002, the infamous shooting death of his limo driver made headline news, and that was just the beginning. In April of 2009, Williams had to be tasered by the NYPD in a New York City hotel after Williams had become violent and suicidal. In May of 2009, Williams was arrested for simple assault when he supposedly punched a man in the face at a bar in North Carolina, however charges were later dropped. And lastly, in January 2010, Williams was charged with a DWI, after being found intoxicated following an automobile accident in Manhattan.
When Williams was forced to retire in 1999, he was at the top of his game. He was making 11 million a year with the Nets, and was living the good life. It makes you wonder what caused him at such a young age(30 years old) to act the way he did. Was it the early retirement? Was it the lack of support and leadership around him? Many factors could have led to his demise.
First being that his wife of 8 years filed for divorce in February of 2009, citing alcohol, physical, and emotional abuse as well as adultery. Looking back further, another cause could have been that in June of 1980, Jayson came home to find his stepsister, Linda, stabbed multiple times by a mugger. Upon being treated at the hospital with a blood transfusion, Linda then learned that the blood she received was infected with HIV. In the end his other stepsister contracted the disease from sharing a needle with Linda. In 1986, after dealing with the deaths of his stepsisters during his first year at St. John’s University in New York, he took care of their children while attending class and playing basketball, which could have proven to be too much for an 18 year old college student athlete.
Williams did not have the fairy tale childhood that we all hope children get to experience which could have altered the way he acts and thinks in society. It has been widely reported that his abuse of alcohol become more and more of a problem,and the fact that he was drunk while accidentally shooting Christofi, makes the matter all too real. Another issue is that for someone like Mr. Williams, having all the fame, money, and benefits that come from being a professional athlete suddenly being taken away must take a toll on one’s mental stability. In this case, Williams was a successful and well known basketball player whose career was cut short and it may have lead to him making poor decisions, because no one was telling him what do to; he had no set schedule and he become irrelevant in the public eye. Hopefully, his fans will remember him at the top of his game in a New Jersey Nets Blue and Grey uniform, but in the mean time for the next 18 months he will be behind bars wearing Orange, the color of the New Jersey State Correctional Facility for involuntarily killing Costa Christofi.
One thing is for sure. This won’t be the last account of the rise and fall of a superstar professional athlete.
Very interesting points. I’d like to hear more from this author.
Great perspective, i’ll look for more from this guest writer. Atheletes spark us to consider what we would in pressure situations on the court, and off.
Very insightful article . . .keep them coming.
Nice to read more of the back story to a headline. It brings it home and helps the “general public” relate to it.
This new contributer provides a fresh and insightful perspective regarding Jayson Williams’ struggles and behavior. I would like to see more from Ms. Michaelis.
The new contributor has insightful points and I look forward to reading more from this writer.
I’m impressed with the maturity and in depth reporting . I look forward to hearing more from Brittni.
This author has fabulous potential. So perspicacious and sagacious!
Great article! Looking forward to more from this talented author!
Very interesting article with the behind-the-scenes perspectives. I look forward to seeing more from this contributing writer.
Mada and Jorge,
Yes the backstory is essential in this situation as we try to figure out why he did what he did and what caused him to “lose it”
I think we will hear more about him in the coming months. Stay tuned!
Excellent reporting and writing! I read the headlines about his conviction and was wondering what lead him to this situation. This history answers some of those questions.
This article has great flow to it and truly makes you think about other athletes who may be going down the same path right now and we don’t even know it. Good insight and well thought out.