Chaz Williams is ready to move past a forgettable start to his professional basketball career.
In his first year, the former Bishop Ford and UMass guard played overseas in Turkey, dealt with the sudden death of a close family member, was denied a return to Turkey with a new club, and ended up playing a few games in the NBA Development League.
“It was a little rocky, a big rollercoaster ride for my first year as a pro,” said Williams after competing for the Grey Goose All-Stars in the Hoops in the Sun streetball league in the Bronx.
He was averaging 10 points per game for Eskisehir Basket in Turkey before his 39-year-old cousin Weldon Price died of walking pneumonia in November. He took the death hard. As the oldest cousin, Price was like a father figure to him.
“It left me in a bad place at the time,” Williams said.
He originally planned on going back to Turkey, but Eskisehir hired a new coach, according to Williams. He would not elaborate further on his reasons for not rejoining the club.
“I came home briefly for my cousin’s funeral and then when it was time to go back I just didn’t want to go back at the time,” Williams said.
Williams believed his career would resume in Turkey when he signed with Afyonkarahisar Belediye, but he never got to play for them once his FIBA license was suspended because he left his original team. A frustrated Williams was forced to come back to the United States and play in the NBA Development league, where he suited up for three games apiece with the Maine Redclaws and the Delaware 87ers.
“It was tough, really tough,” Williams said. “It still bothers me to this day that my rookie season went that way. It’s motivation and inspires me to work that much harder.”
Williams wants to head back overseas this fall and stay with one club this time around. He is unsure now where he will play. The 5-foot-9 guard still hopes to play in the NBA one day. He worked out for 12 clubs after graduating UMass, but was not drafted and did not earn an NBA Summer League invite this year.
Williams is a proven playmaker and scorer despite his size. He can shoot the three and get teammates involved thanks to his ability to penetrate the lane. Williams put up scoring totals of 40 and 34 points to win player of the week honors at Hoops in the Sun this summer.
Williams is hoping to do another year or two overseas before refocusing on pursuing a spot in the NBA again. Right now, he just needs to get his carrier back on track in general and make his cousin proud.
“I know he will definitely be proud of wherever I go this year and see me working hard,” Williams said. “This is where we both know, and my family knows, I belong.”
