Injured NBA Player Attempts A Comeback

Former NBA point guard Jay Williams, who was released from the Chicago Bulls in 2003 after a motorcycle accident, now rises at 6 a.m. six days a week to train

He lifts weights, does Pilates routines, and has scrimmages with NBA veterans such as Larry Hughes and Chris Duhon.

"The work I’m doing here is tougher than what I would do at an NBA practice,” says Williams

Six surgeries after a nearly career ending 2002 motorcycle accident that left him with a fractured pelvis, a severed nerve and torn ligaments in his left leg, Williams is mounting a comeback to the NBA and leaving nothing to chance, according to Sports Illustrated (SI). And already, his work is paying off.

            Williams, who averaged 9.5 points per game in his only pro season, has drawn the attention of several NBA teams. He has already worked out for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Toronto Raptors with more team workout sessions to follow.

"He’s not nearly as explosive or quick as he once was," says Toronto general manger Rob Babcock, who observed a work out. But “he is a smarter basketball player, who understands how to be an NBA point guard."

            However, Williams worries that some teams are concerned that his conditioning will not hold up. So he will continue his workouts until the NBA season starts this November.

This means more early morning Pilates, weights and scrimmages.

"Sorry," he said in the SI interview. "But I get tired just thinking about it."