Yeah that sucks jor Jay.I was in his corner too. Hope he can return. But everyone should know. This could happen to any one of us. You never know what path you will asked to walk.
OK, he is not in critical condition, and I have never seen it ever reported anywhere that he was, so you guys can cut the eulogies out. He's probably in more trouble than we realize, many sports contracts (like Jeff Kent's) forbid motorcycle riding Williams in motorcycle crash June 20, 2003 BY GREG COUCH AND ANA MENDIETA Staff Reporters Advertisement Bulls guard Jay Williams crashed his new motorcycle Thursday on the North Side, breaking his leg and other bones and leaving his career status in doubt. The Bulls confirmed the accident and said Williams didn't suffer head injuries and his life was not in jeopardy. ''We're hearing he's going to be in surgery for three or four hours,'' Williams' father, David, told the Associated Press late Thursday night. The crash happened around 5 p.m. near the corner of Fletcher and Honore in a residential section of the West Lake View neighborhood, authorities said. Williams' black and red Yamaha cycle, still with temporary plates, was left mangled on the street for several hours after the accident. Williams appeared to be traveling south in the 3100 block of Honore with a friend who was riding on another motorcycle, witnesses said. No one else was injured in the crash. ''He was yelling and saying, 'I can't feel my legs,''' said Alysha Grenier, 26, who saw Williams on the ground as she was coming home from work. He was about 10 feet from where his motorcycle came to rest, she said. It is unknown if Williams was wearing a helmet. Williams, 21, was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center by the Chicago Fire Department under a ''code red,'' which usually signifies a serious condition. Bulls spokeswoman Sebrina Brewster said late Thursday that Williams was still in the hospital. She said the Bulls did not know the severity of his injuries or what other bones were broken. ''When anything like this happens, you're just concerned that he's OK,'' Bulls coach Bill Cart-wright said. ''And you hope he comes through fine so he can play again. We just have to wait to see how he does.'' Ironically, Williams was scheduled to be in Kuwait this week with five other NBA players and assorted celebrities on a tour to entertain U.S. troops. Williams was nervous about the danger associated with the trip, which began Sunday, but he was forced to pull out when an aunt died. Williams spent the weekend near his hometown of Plainfield, N.J. Williams has been working out at the Berto Center, which is where he was Thursday morning. He runs a basketball camp in the Poconos in July, and he planned to attend a basketball camp in Florida in August. ''We had a busy summer planned for him,'' Cartwright said. ''He was working out at the Berto in the morning with a shooting coach, and we felt we could make great strides with him this summer. Bulls co-captain Jalen Rose said Williams' desire and dedication to play basketball should help with his recovery. ''A lot of times for athletes, we have this burning desire, and he has it,'' Rose said. ''And basketball is like a sanctuary. If he can't do anything else, he'll play basketball. ''As a teammate, we need him on the court, but the most important thing is his health.'' Despite an erratic rookie season, during which he often vented about the frustration of losing and not playing much, Williams was a popular figure who garnered endorsement deals. He was a member of Team USA last year at the World Championships in Indianapolis after being the second pick in the 2002 draft. He also was popular among the fans. At a recent Cubs game, Williams sat in the bleachers wearing a Sammy Sosa shirt and spent much of the game posing for pictures and signing autographs. On the court, Williams struggled as most rookies do, but he still earned second-team All-Rookie honors. One of the biggest questions this offseason was whether new operations chief John Paxson would trade either Williams or Jamal Crawford, who play the same point guard position. The Bulls have been reluctant to play the pair together.
He's stupid to be riding a motorcycle in the first place. In addition to the regular threat to life all motorcyclists share, he has an additional higher threat to his career. Musicians abstain from sports to protect their precious fingers. I feel sorry for him for getting hurt, but it was a boneheaded thing for him to do.
It's a tough call. Motorcycles are dangerous. Everybody knows it. But if you like doing something then I think you should do it. Life is too short not to enjoy yourself. It's up to the individual to determine what they want to do. My own personal experience with something or this sort goes like this. When I lived in Florida I used to take all kinds of chances by wandering through the Florida Swamps searching for adventure. I saw Gators face to face, snakes, and all kinds of swamp creatures. But never once cared because I thought I was safe. I thought I was invincible. My last week in Florida I decided not to go back into the swamps. Something just clicked inside me and I got scared. Now I realize how stupid I was for doing all of that. But I have great stories to tell because of it and I'll never forget all the fun it was. So even today. I was glad that I did it. But I wouldn't do it again.
Deng should re-think going to Duke. Has anything good come to those players than college championships and professional injuries? This sucks a lot not only for J-Will, but for the Bulls too. He's probably definitely out for this season, hopefully not the rest of his career. Damn, don't teams give players guidelines concerning safety? I know/know of so many people who have gotten in cycle accidents recently. God bless you, J.W.
Duke Blue Devils? Maybe they sold their soul for college titles.... Anyways, the rumor is that he has no feeling in his legs and his career is over. Thankfully he will still have enough money to live comfortable once he recovers. Might have to fall back on that sham Duke sociology degree.
You guys should not poke fun. I have a friend who was in a bike accident earlier this year and had to have his leg amputated. Not a joking manner....
forreal .. . . people act like these guys should be put in stasis until the games and not allowed out of anyone's site Rocket River
That rumor stems from the initial reports, where onlookers said he was screaming that couldn't feel his legs. There's been no such reports since, and while it may be career threatening, there's no way that it could be decuded even now. Chalk it up to overzealous reporting.
Yeah, I meant to type the less serious one out of critical and serious. I know close to nothing about conditions.
I'm not saying he shouldn't have a life. Just that he has an additional threat in addition to the danger everyone faces while riding a motorcycle. That is the danger of a non-serious injury still being serious enough to end his playing career and cost him 10s of millions of dollars. That's a danger most people don't face. It's not that I don't feel bad for the guy. I just can't help but shake my head at what he may have lost over something so stupid.
While motorcycling riding isn't the safest activity, the guy didn't go sky diving or pull a Len Bias. I mean if it comes out he was speeding and doing stunts, you have a point, but just riding the bike isn't dumb.
I would bet that it is a prohibited activity according to his contract though. Not that it means he deserves to crash, etc, but I would expect him of all people to use slightly better judgement.
Okay Croc hunter........ thank you for the entertaining story. I don't see how it relates to Jay Williams and a motorcycle accident but whatever.
He should have known better, right? For the same reason Tiger Woods, who loves basketball, doesn't play anymore... Williams shouldn't have been driving a motorcycle... fear of hurting himself. His body is his livelihood, and a certain amount of discipline is necessary to take care of it... whether it be in the weight room to build muscle or to take precautions off the court. I'm not saying he should be living in a box, but some common sense was in order here. There are other ways to get thrills. Hope he is alright.
