Jay Williams - motorcycle accident

sunsfn

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I just saw on WGN that Jay Williams of the Chicago Bulls was in a motorcycle accident and broke his leg and is in the hospital.

They will update later........if he has more injuries.........

:(
 

thegrahamcrackr

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It will be interesting if that has any effects on draft day. There was all that speculation that the bulls would send williams and the no.7 to denver for the #3. This probably will ruin those chances now.
 

arthurracoon

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That REALLY sucks for the bulls. He showed some good signs at the end of the season.
 

fordronken

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It will be interesting if that has any effects on draft day. There was all that speculation that the bulls would send williams and the no.7 to denver for the #3. This probably will ruin those chances now.

There was a very good chance that he'd be traded one way or the other, but most people speculated that to get Carmello it would cost them either Chandler or Curry.
 
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sunsfn

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WIlliams update

Williams in severe crash
Rams cycle into pole, breaks leg

By K.C. Johnson
Tribune staff reporter

June 20, 2003

Bulls guard Jay Williams spent Thursday night in Illinois Masonic Hospital after breaking his leg and sustaining other injuries in a motorcycle accident on Chicago's North Side.

Details on the extent of Williams' injury were sketchy, but a team source said Williams underwent surgery following the crash, which took place shortly after 5 p.m.

The same source said Williams also may have sustained injuries to his pelvic area and described Williams' situation as "not good."

Williams crashed his motorcycle into a pole at the intersection of Honore and Fletcher streets. The motorcycle had temporary license plates.

Bulls general manager John Paxson couldn't be reached for comment, but a team spokesman confirmed the accident and said the team would release details on Williams' condition Friday.

Another team source said that Bulls team doctors had arrived at Williams' hospital room.

Bulls coach Bill Cartwright, reached at his home, echoed the sentiments of most people in the organization who also were reached.

"I'm not worried about the team or what this does for our future," Cartwright said. "I'm just worried about Jay. I'm worried about the severity of his injury for his career. We just have to wait and see. Our thoughts are with him."

Williams, the second overall selection in last year's NBA draft, averaged 9.5 points and 4.7 assists in 75 games during a turbulent rookie season. He endured an intense battle for the starting point guard position with Jamal Crawford, which created tension at times in the locker room.

Crawford and Williams played well together down the stretch of last season and vowed this off-season to build on that momentum next season if given the chance.

"I'm kind of in shock," Crawford said from Seattle. "Jay and I were really looking forward to playing together and making some noise next season. Like everybody else on the team, I just hope he's OK and recovers quickly."

Reached on his cell phone, David Williams, Jay's father, said: "This isn't a good time to talk."

If Williams' injury is as serious as initial reports indicated, the accident isn't only devestating for Williams and his family; it also comes at an extremely inopportune time for Paxson and the franchise.

With the NBA draft scheduled for Thursday, league sources indicate Paxson has been receiving several calls from rival league executives gauging the availability of Crawford and Williams. The perception around the league is that with two talented point guards, the Bulls might be willing to part with one for the right price.

Paxson, according to league sources, had been listening to possible offers for Williams or Crawford with Bulls' No. 7 pick. Williams' injury is likely to affect those talks.

If Williams is sidelined into next season, the Bulls almost certainly would have to hang onto Crawford to enter next season with an experienced point guard.

Williams worked out at the Berto Center on Thursday morning with Crawford before the latter flew home to Seattle.

Williams took a much darker ride on Thursday evening.

:(
 

slinslin

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I would be pretty pissed if any of the Suns players was driving around on a motorcycle all the time taking a higher risk of having a serious accident than driving in a car.
He was probably speeding too. How else do you crash into a pole?
 

Joe Mama

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Originally posted by slinslin
I would be pretty pissed if any of the Suns players was driving around on a motorcycle all the time taking a higher risk of having a serious accident than driving in a car.
He was probably speeding too. How else do you crash into a pole?

I feel the same way. I don't expect these NBA players to live in a bubble, but I wouldn't want any of them zipping around town on a motorcycle. Can you imagine Jake Tsakalidis on a Harley? :)

That definitely puts a damper on the Chicago Bulls chances of trading one of their point guards.

Joe Mama
 

Dback Jon

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Originally posted by slinslin
I would be pretty pissed if any of the Suns players was driving around on a motorcycle all the time taking a higher risk of having a serious accident than driving in a car.
He was probably speeding too. How else do you crash into a pole?

That was my first thought - what the heck was he doing on a motorcycle? I know a lot of Pro contracts prohibit the athlete from doing dangerous activities (like snow-mobiling, sky-diving, etc). Do any ban motorcycling?
 

JJ Slim

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Originally posted by Joe Mama
Can you imagine Jake Tsakalidis on a Harley? :)

You might have hit on something, Joe. Get Jake a nice Harley, hook him up with the local Hell's Angels and maybe it will bring out a the nastiness in him that we all know he has. Ok, maybe not. :)
 

JJ Slim

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Originally posted by Dback Jon
That was my first thought - what the heck was he doing on a motorcycle? I know a lot of Pro contracts prohibit the athlete from doing dangerous activities (like snow-mobiling, sky-diving, etc). Do any ban motorcycling?

I don't think I've ever heard directly that they ban them but it seems that Karl Malone had to get an exception in his contract because he rides Harleys all the time.
 

slinslin

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I am pretty sure that a lot of soccer players in europe have clauses in their contract that don't allow them to do some stuff like skiing or snowboarding because you can easily hurt your knee.
 

SweetD

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Found a photo of his Bike...

You must be registered for see images
 

Joe Mama

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Originally posted by SweetD
Found a photo of his Bike...

You must be registered for see images

SweetD, I just realized that a guy is in the picture. I can't believe I'm never saw it before. Then I read that quote about pillow talk. I used to watch Army of Darkness all the time when I was younger. That movie is hysterical.

Joe Mama
 

Chaplin

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Originally posted by Joe Mama
SweetD, I just realized that a guy is in the picture. I can't believe I'm never saw it before. Then I read that quote about pillow talk. I used to watch Army of Darkness all the time when I was younger. That movie is hysterical.

Joe Mama

I am so confused by this post I think I'm going to have to be committed.
 

Chaplin

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Okay, now it makes more sense--i thought he was referring to the picture of the motorcycle...
 

SweetD

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Originally posted by Joe Mama
Sorry. I'm not sure why I quoted his post.

Joe

Had me looking at the pick for a few seconds till I read the 2nd page. LOL
 
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sunsfn

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-------------------------------------------------------
chaplin said,

I am so confused by this post I think I'm going to have to be committed.
------------------------------------------------

I felt exactly the same way until I read more...............!




:biglaugh:
 

JJ Slim

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UPDATE

Friday, June 20
_
Source: Career in jeopardy for Bulls' Williams

Associated Press

CHICAGO -- Chicago Bulls guard Jay Williams was recuperating Friday following surgery to repair injuries sustained when he crashed his week-old motorcycle.

The Bulls wouldn't comment on the extent of Williams' injuries, and his family didn't return phone calls from The Associated Press on Friday. But a source close to Williams, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said while the injuries were not life-threatening, they do jeopardize the 21-year-old's playing career.

"The last thing on our minds right now is basketball and the foremost thought on our minds is that of Jay's health,'' Bulls general manager John Paxson said in a statement Friday.

"We respect the privacy of the family and as time goes on we will be waiting for the family and doctors to report to us on Jay's status.''

Williams was riding a new Yamaha sportbike that he had purchased last week when it slammed into a pole Thursday afternoon on the north side of Chicago. The impact broke one of his legs, and a witness said she saw Williams laying about 10 feet from where his bike came to rest.

Teammate Marcus Fizer said he had warned Williams of the potential dangers of riding a motorcycle.

"I told him before, that may not be something that you want to do in your career at this time. Any number of things can happen to you,'' Fizer said Friday. "I tell all these young guys who like to ride motorcycles that. A lot of them still do it, though.''

After the crash Williams was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. A spokeswoman at the hospital on Friday referred all inquiries to the Bulls.

Paxson and coach Bill Cartwright visited Williams on Friday. Neither returned messages left by the AP.

"I'm not worried about the team or what this does for our future,'' Cartwright told the Chicago Tribune. "I'm just worried about the severity of his injury for his career. We just have to wait and see. Our thoughts are with him.''

Chicago Police spokesman Wayne Frisbie said officers have been unable to interview Williams because the hospital is denying them access to him.

Williams was the No. 2 pick last June out of Duke, where he was the AP college player of the year in 2002 and a two-time All-American. He averaged 9.5 points last season, and was a second-team All-Rookie selection.

Great things were expected of Williams, who was believed to be the most NBA-ready of all the draft picks. He backed that up early in the season, recording his first career triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists and 14 rebounds on Nov. 11, 2002 against the New Jersey Nets.

It was the first triple-double by a Chicago Bull since Michael Jordan in April 1997.

But Williams struggled much of the season, eventually losing his starting spot to Jamal Crawford. Williams finished strong, shooting better than 60 percent from the field in six of his last seven games when he was paired with Crawford in the backcourt, and he vowed to build on that momentum in his second season.

"I'm kind of in shock,'' Crawford told the Tribune. "Jay and I were really looking forward to playing together and making some noise next season. Like everybody else on the team, I just hope he's OK and recovers quickly.''
 

Mike Olbinski

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Maybe it's just me, but you hear about how dangerous motorcycles can be, and then you make millions of dollars playing a sport you love where your contract says NO motorcycles, and yet you jeopordize that anyways.

Just don't get it...

Mike
 
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