National Basketball Association

Williams hopes to resurrect career with Bobcats

Published Jul. 1, 2010 10:41 p.m. ET

foxsports

Shawne Williams was far removed from the glamor of the opening day of free agency on Thursday.

Instead of being wooed by potential suitors, the former first-round pick was running the floor with mostly undrafted rookies in what amounts to a tryout camp for the Charlotte Bobcats' summer league team.

After numerous off-court issues, arrests, weight problems and spending a year out of the league, the Williams insists he's ready to put in the work needed to make it back to the NBA and shed the label he's acquired: Bust.

``I know I have to go through all of this to get back to where I'm supposed to be,'' Williams said. ``I'm not mad. I'm disappointed in myself, obviously.''

The 24-year-old Williams, once a college star with tremendous leaping ability and athleticism, is just about out of chances. The former Conference USA freshman of the year at Memphis and 17th pick in the 2006 draft by Indiana has seen his career derailed thanks to a series of poor decisions.

``That's what it all came down to,'' he said. ``I made a bad decision and it led to this. I made a bad decision and it led to that.''

Indeed, the rap sheet is long:

- Indiana suspended him three games after he was arrested when police found marijuana in the SUV he was driving.

- He left early from a Pacers game when a murder suspect in Tennessee was arrested shortly after leaving Williams' suburban Indianapolis home.

- Police arrested a passenger in Williams' car for marijuana possession, a move that led the Pacers to trade Williams to Dallas.

- He appeared in just 15 games over two seasons and was told essentially to stay away from the Mavericks because of behavioral issues.

- The Mavericks traded Williams to New Jersey in January, but he was quickly waived after coach Kiki Vandeweghe said he was ``way out of shape.''

- Hours later, Williams was indicted in Memphis on eight counts of possession and conspiracy to sell a codeine-based syrup.

Jennifer Donnals, communication director of the Shelby (Tenn.) County district attorney's office said Thursday that Williams pleaded guilty in April to misdemeanor drug possession. He was placed on six months probation, ordered to undergo mandatory drug testing, attend a drug offender school and make a $10,000 contribution to the county drug treatment court.

His legal situation cleared up, the 6-foot-9 Williams found a sympathetic coach in Charlotte's Larry Brown as he tried to rekindle his career. A close friend of his college coach, John Calipari, Brown invited Williams to a free-agent camp last month in Charlotte.

``I'm a man now. I'm no boy. Anything they ask I'm just honest with the situation and just tell them everything they want to know,'' Williams said of explaining his past. ``I tell them what I corrected and how I grew up from the situation.''

Despite complaining that Williams has to lose at least 20 pounds, Brown invited him to the four-day minicamp here that will help determine Charlotte's roster for next week's Orlando summer league.

``A lot of guys in our league have had some problems, but I think that's behind him,'' Brown said last month. ``I'm confident he'll get himself in the right kind of condition and hopefully we can give him a chance to make our team.''

Charlotte may provide Williams with his best chance. The Bobcats have only 11 players under contract, had no draft picks last week, and need players willing to play for the minimum salary to avoid the luxury tax.

It's why Darius Miles, another player attempting a comeback, is also at Charlotte's camp.

``Instead of going into a place where there is one spot, like a lot of teams, or two spots or no spots, I feel like this is a good situation, a good opportunity,'' Williams said. ``But there are a lot of guys here. Everybody is trying to get those four spots, so it's a battle.''

Williams, who has averaged just 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 126 NBA games in four seasons, claims he's lost 10 pounds since last month's camp in Charlotte thanks to a ``real strict diet and heavy training.'' But he has at least 15 more pounds to go before being in proper shape.

Williams also must show he can avoid the trouble that's followed him, because he may not get another shot.

``I feel like coach Brown gives everybody the same opportunity and I feel like he's just one of those coaches where he doesn't run away from the crowd that's had problems,'' Williams said. ``He kind of brings those guys in and he tries to make a star out of those players.

``I feel like I've got a chance.''