Ranking the best Miami Heat players from 2000-2009
By Cory Sanning
8. Jason Williams
Stats (2006-2008): 10.6 points, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 35 percent from 3-point range
Williams is another case of a player whose numbers will not amaze you, but many forget that he once took the NBA by storm.
His brilliant passing and swagger earned him the nickname White Chocolate and he was top five in jersey sales during his rookie season.
Williams was regularly amongst the league leaders in assists and averaged five assists or more in eight of his 13 seasons.
He was arguably one of the most popular players of his generation, and Williams brought that same mindset to a Heat team that desperately needed a spark off the bench, especially during the 2006 NBA Playoffs.
His most memorable moment came in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons.
Leading the series 3-2 coming back home, Miami was looking to claim its first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.
In 32 minutes of play, Williams recorded 21 points and six assists and at one point, hit 10 consecutive shots from the field. He finished the game shooting a blistering 83 percent, and the Heat would go on to claim its first ever championship.
Williams averaged 8.8 points and 4.7 assists in his only NBA Finals appearance.
Though he was never an All Star and never sniffed an All-NBA team, Williams’s contributions were key in delivering a championship to South Florida, and that alone stands above the rest.