It was February 12, 2000: Oakland Arena hosted the Rising Stars Challenge. A match that promised to be a good time of entertainment in front of a new generation that was becoming international, but Jason Williams did much more, with a pass that marked the spirits to the point of inspiring any young playground player who respects himself.
Then sophomore, Jason Williams aka “White Chocolate” is invited to the Rising Stars Challenge alongside Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki in particular, in order to face the rookies Andre Miller, Steve Francis or Elton Brand (who will be elected MVP of the match). If this date of February 12, 2000 remains attached to the name of JWill, it is certainly not for his performance (9 points and 5 assists at 3/10 in shooting) but for an unforgettable highlight: the mythical pass of the… elbow.
On this date 20 years ago, @55buckets used his patented elbow pass in the 2000 Rookie Challenge! #NBARisingStars begins Friday (2/14) at 9pm/et on TNT. pic.twitter.com/SxmAwNTVw7
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) February 12, 2020
The ultimate streetball move. A concentrate of madness, inspiration and flow, in short everything that makes the legend of JWill. The White Chocolate is undoubtedly one of the players who best embodies the artistic side imported straight from the streets, at a time when And1 mixtapes are circulating on all terrains and when hip-hop culture is making a sensational entrance into the NBA. . Somehow, this move, it represents the pinnacle of all this art. While some use the elbows to impose themselves in the rackets, Williams uses his to mark the spirits in his own way.
But how could such a special move come about?
“In truth I don’t know very well myself. If you’ve watched my highlights, you’ve probably seen me fake a pass in the back a few times to start on the same side, right? Well I think I’ve done that fake so many times in my career, there’s bound to be one time the ball must have accidentally hit my elbow and sent the ball out. And I started to think: I went to the field the next night, and I remembered this action. I said to myself: ‘if I hit it with my elbow and add a little force, maybe the ball will go in this direction’, and that’s how it came to me. Of course, I then practiced for this pass, thousands and thousands of times, and I probably only succeeded… 4 times”
– Jason Williams, via BasketballNews
There you go, that’s Jason Williams. A creative, cheeky guy who was constantly looking for sources of inspiration to push the limits of the possible. He could very well watch images of Pete Maravich in black and white than an old late-night college game to try to expand his repertoire of moves.
Contrary to what some observers might say or think, Jason Williams was a hard worker. He was simply focusing more on style than on the true efficiency of his movements. He preferred to make the crowds scream with his dribbling and passing skills, rather than being an ultra clean and poised playmaker. That’s exactly what generated most of the criticism towards him during his career: Williams was labeled as a very spectacular player, but who did not really win a team. After three NBA seasons in Sacramento, JWill was traded in 2001 against Mike Bibby in Memphis, which helped the Kings take the next step to become one of the best teams in the West. Obviously for Jason’s reputation, it’s not tip-top. Williams, he will never be as sparkling as in the white and purple jersey, despite superior stats with the Grizzlies and a title won with the Miami Heat in 2006. Also categorized in the fringe of “problem players”, whether this whether for his homophobic and racist verbal altercation with a fan in 2001 or for his particular relationship with cannabis (which earned him several suspensions from university), JWill had his share of controversy.
Nevertheless, even today, a good part of Sacramento fans do not hesitate to place their white chocolate particularly high in the list of their favorite players. Because if the leader ultimately only stayed three seasons with the Kings, it is undeniable that he will have left his mark on the Californian capital and shed light on this franchise without much history.
In particular thanks to this elbow pass.
With Jason Williams and his highlights, it’s a particular vision of basketball that is offered to us, and this elbow pass proves it. A vision where basketball remains a game, and where the beauty of the game in question takes precedence over the results. In a way, White Chocolate was a bit like the Coubertin spirit revisited with NBA sauce…