Former Tar Heel Marvin Williams Announces Retirement

It seems that the buck stopped in Milwaukee. Marvin Williams finally announces that after 15 years in the NBA, he will be retiring.

Marvin Williams just announced his retirement after 15 years. Via @TheUndefeated
— Luck (@Quierra_Luck) September 9, 2020

The No. 1 team in the NBA lost tonight to the Miami Heat. The Bucks couldn't contain Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler as they dominated on both ends of the court collapsing everything the Bucks threw at them. The series ended 4-1 with leading superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo ruled out due to injury. As a result, Williams along will Khris Middleton and Donte DiVincenzo put forth admirable effort as they tried to keep championship dreams alive but just couldn't deliver.

Williams ends his final game with 11 points, eight rebounds and one assist.

During an interview on 'The Player and The Fan,' Williams explained his future with the NBA. The Washington native had a quiet yet progressive and productive 15 year NBA career. Under the direction of Roy Williams, Williams took the plunge into the big leagues; He was Williams' first 'one and done.' He was the second overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Williams left along with six other Tar Heels, Jawad Williams, Jackie Manuel, Melvin Scott, Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton, and Sean May.

Marvin Williams' career at UNC was more than just "luck"; he was the spark that motivated those around him to better. Williams knew he wanted to go to college; going straight to the NBA wasn't a dream. During his career at UNC, Williams played in all 36 games but didn't start; he averaged, 11.3 ppg, 6.6 RPG, with 51% FG. He made the All ACC Freshman team and crowned Rookie of the Year of the 2004-2005 season.

Once drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, Williams spent seven seasons in Atlanta Hawks maturing into the OG of the locker room; he averaged 11.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and helped take the Hawks to the playoffs five straight years. After spending only two years in Utah, Williams made his way back home to North Carolina playing for Michael Jordan's Charlotte Hornets. During his tenure, Williams recorded 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds, becoming the sound and reliable player in the locker room.

In February of 2020, Williams was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Not too long after, COVID-19 paused the NBA season forcing it to shut down as the seriousness of the virus began to take precedent over the immediate completion of the season. The NBA will be continuing the season in Orlando, Florida in a bubble without fans. The Bucks are seen as finals contenders going head to head with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Williams is often described as the one player who doesn't care about minutes or glory; he wants to play ball and make sure everyone wins. In his interview, Williams displays those qualities with sound answers and a quiet but meaningful demeanor; qualities his teammates, former and current, admire him for.

Williams spoke about the difficult decision; is this his last year in the NBA?

"Might be over for me. We'll see. I'm definitely going to sit down and talk to my family about it because it's different now.

But Williams has a plan for his next steps.

"Yeah, so I did an internship some years back in New York with the NBA league office, and I really enjoyed it. I got a chance to spend a lot of time with all the different departments up there that kind of grow the game, I would say, globally. So I really enjoyed it. So I really want to stay involved with the NBA if I can, if I do have the opportunity." Williams said, "So I'm just going to try to stay in contact with as many people as I can from the league office. When I'm done playing, maybe there'll be an opportunity up there for me. If not, I'll just be taking my kids to school every day, picking them up."

But the most important thing to Williams is his family. Uprooting them to different states due to be trading was not ideal for him; he wants his daughter to have roots and be in one school consistently. The Washington native stated that being close to family and friends made it easy to call North Carolina home.

Full interview:

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