Deron Williams at Illinois (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Deron Williams was arguably the best point guard alive.
During this period, he earned two All-NBA 2nd-team honors, three All-Star appearances, and two Olympic Gold Medals. During his prime years with the Utah Jazz, he teamed up with Carlos Boozer to create a point guard-power forward combination that was so powerful it reminded the fan base of the franchise’s peak years with John Stockton and Karl Malone.
Prior to his Hall of Very Good NBA career, Williams built a legendary legacy at the University of Illinois. He is the highest drafted player (third overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft) in Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball history, but his more memorable glory came two months earlier, during March Madness.
It’s the game known as “The Miracle on Mannheim,” played at All State Arena in Rosemont, IL which is only about 150 miles from the U of I campus in Champaign. In the 2005 Regional Final, Arizona went up 75-60, with less than four minutes remaining, on the Illini.
On the night before Easter, the Illinois Final Four hopes were left for dead, until a furious comeback ensued and resurrected their national title hopes. It culminated with Williams hitting a three-pointer with 39 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 80.
Among the Illini faithful, “D. Will” will always be the guy that hit “the shot.” Illinois went on to win in overtime and eventually advanced to the national title game, where they fell to North Carolina.
He was back on campus during Labor Day weekend, joining his former teammates for a special 20-year reunion that saw the history-making team honored on the field during the Illini football team’s season opener.
How NIL Changed The Game
Williams reflected on his college basketball years, emphasizing the simplicity of playing without getting paid, and all the social constraints that go along with that.
“(At age) 17,18, 19, 20- you’re just playing for the love of the game,” Williams said to RG.
“There’s no politics really involved. You’re not getting paid. It’s not like it is today.
Those were some of the most fun years of my life for sure. The friendships, the camaraderie, we had something special. And so it’s hard to top those years.”
Williams met the media during a special VIP party, conducted on a perfect weather night at a scenic outdoor terrace.
Very impressively, he did the media session with a glass of wine in his hand the entire time. Asked what life would be like if he could relive that era, even for just for a day, he responded:
“I don’t know, talking sh** to Dee (Brown, the team’s All-American point guard) and Luther (Head, the Illini leading scorer and future NBA veteran), Jerrance (Howard, who was a reserve guard on that team) and, you know, playing cards with those guys.
It’s just fun, man. On the court was fun, but off the court was just as much fun.”
Name, Image and Likeness deals have totally changed the game of college basketball, literally and metaphorically. Williams explained how hard it was for him and his teammates to financially get by when they were in college, as there was no NIL money available to earn in his day.
“Some of these guys are making more money than I probably did in my (NBA) rookie season,” the 41-year-old businessman said.
“So it’s a different ball game. I had a baby at 18. Dee did too. We were surviving on 180 bucks after we paid our rent. We were a little hungrier, I think, than some of these guys.”
But that team drew inspiration from what they lacked. Hunger, as well as camaraderie, translated into success as that iconic team won the Big Ten, the Big Ten Tournament, and finished with an NCAA record 37 wins.
Current Illini basketball coach Brad Underwood was excited to have Williams and company back at the place where their collective legend began.
“Greatness is back,” Underwood said.
“And I think it’s one of those things that we get to celebrate the start of football season, with arguably one of the greatest teams and times in Illinois basketball history, I think it speaks volumes to all these guys coming back, their love for this place, their time spent here.
There’s nothing better than being what I call a forever teammate, and the relationships that that all these guys have with each other.”
“They stay friends and that’s really special.”
Life After Basketball: Business And Family
Williams also played for the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, where he scored a franchise record 57 points in a single game against Charlotte in 2012. He also had a stint with his hometown Dallas Mavericks, while later reaching the NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers during his final season in the league.
Today Williams is a real estate magnate of sorts, in Dallas, where he also owns an upscale gym. Additionally, he owns several businesses in Salt Lake City, and maintains an equity stake in his watch company.
He’s also a devoted family man.
“I got four kids, so they’re all over the place,” Williams responded when asked what he’s doing these days.
“My oldest, she just graduated- SMU. Another just starting her freshman year at Clemson, and I got two in high school.”
“Personal wise, I design and build houses in Dallas. Got a couple other little business ventures that I do and I travel back and forth between Dallas and Salt Lake, constantly on the go, constantly on the move, but yeah, life’s good.”
Williams also fought in one exhibition boxing match, defeating longtime former NFL running back Frank Gore in 4 rounds in December of 2021. And that night in Tampa was the extent of his interest in a potential boxing career.
“I said after the fight, it was just a one and done,” he explained. “Yeah, check that box.”