4. Jason Williams
It seems so long ago, but it was only 2008 when Jason Williams last played for the Heat. Then again, that was nearly eight years ago. Yeesh. How the Heat and the NBA have changed. Could a player get away with being nicknamed “White Chocolate” anymore? Williams played with style, flash, and was a Steve Nash University alum, his game based around the art of pace. He effortlessly controlled the tempo of games, and was a threat to randomly put up a 3-pointer in transition. He kept defenses guessing.
Williams came to Miami in 2005 as part of a monsterly five-team trade, the most expansive in NBA history. He joined Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, becoming the backcourt partner Wade needed to allow him to focus less on setting up his teammates and more on scoring and, eventually, leading the Heat to its first ever championship. (And who could forget Williams hitting 10 consecutive shots against the Pistons in Game 6 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals to send Miami to the Finals?)
Williams played just three seasons in Miami, averaging a modest 10.6 points and 4.9 points per game during his time, but White Chocolate’s impact with the Heat shouldn’t be measured by numbers alone. Rather, we should look more at what he allowed Wade, Shaq, and his other teammates to do to help win the 2006 NBA Finals.
Next: Little Brother