Another View
Fresh off his first-time All-Star appearance as an assistant coach, Corliss Williamson is now poised to help lead the Minnesota Timberwolves through the last portion of this regular season, and hopefully a long playoff run.
“What we got to do better is, offensively we got to find a way to score better,” Williamson told us after practice just before the All-Star break last week. “So, I think the second half of the season we can turn the corner and get better at that end of the floor. And then defensively we just have to continue to take pride in our defense, to make it difficult on the other team to score the ball.”
When Williamson was hired by Minnesota last year, his place was already secure in sport history as one of the few pro hoop players to win championships at three different levels—AAU, NCAA and NBA.
The Russellville, Arkansas native became known as a youngster as “Big Nasty,” a nickname that took lasting roots when he got to college thanks to broadcaster Dick Vitale.
“I was 13, and one of my coaches, who actually was a relative of mine, [told me] this is how he wanted me to play,” explained Williamson. “He said, ‘You gotta be big, nasty, big and nasty on the court.’ So he just started saying, “Big Nasty,” and teammates picked up on it.
“I go to college,” he continued, “and Dick Vitale on ESPN” used the nickname, and it stuck to Williamson like glue, he said smiling.
Williamson in high school virtually matched future NBA star Chris Webber point by point in an AAU championship game—37 points to Webber’s 38 while in high school—and he was selected as McDonald’s All-American.
He matriculated to Arkansas and played for the HOF Nolan Richardson (1992-1995) on the school’s three consecutive NCAA trips, its only championship in 1993-94 and 1995 runners up. Along the way, Williamson garnered first team all-SEC three times, All-Freshman and twice SEC Player of the Year and second team All American. He also learned life lessons from legendary coach Richardson, only the second Black male coach to win a national championship (1994).
“Just looking back at it,” said Williamson proudly, “you will realize how he’s really affecting your life. Now looking back at all the lessons that we learned about how he grew up, some of his beliefs, the things he took the stand for, he really affected our lives and we were really blessed to be a part of his program.”
Williamson noted of Richardson’s famed “40 minutes of Hell” playing style, “It was fun. We worked hard. We [were] held accountable in the style that we played.”
Williamson became an NBA lottery pick (13th overall) by Sacramento in 1995 and played 12 seasons with four teams, starting, finishing with the Kings (1995-2000: 2005-07), Sixth Man of the Year (2002), and an NBA championship ring (2004 with Detroit).
Going into coaching was only a natural progression after he retired from playing in 2007. “When I was a kid, [I would] take my brother and cousins, trying to coach them in football and through basketball,” he recalled. “I always wanted to stay around the game. Towards the end of my career, I started coaching my oldest son in AAU and started studying the game from a coaching perspective.”
Williamson was a volunteer assistant coach at Arkansas Baptist College (2007-09) and became its head coach (2009-10). He was named University of Central Arkansas head men’s basketball coach (2010-13), then left for NBA assistant coaching jobs (Sacramento, Orlando, Phoenix, and now the Timberwolves).
Asked what makes him a good coach, Williamson said, “I think the fact that I’m honest. I think the same things that helped me become a good player, the same attribute has helped me become a good coach.
“I can’t come out here and fake with these guys and be somebody else. That’s the work ethic and willingness to learn, listen, just being myself. I’m definitely enjoying myself.”
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