Basketball in Montreal!

Do you remember the Sprite TV commercial where a basketball player was dribbling the ball, concentrating intensely, in a gymnasium? He followed with an extraordinary jump, and then heard "Cut!" We were then shown that he was hung by cords!

-The commercial mentioned was only broadcasted in Canada.

Photos and article by Nadia Fezzani

After Sprite, JYD becomes the image of a new bottle of water,
Electr 02 Lite!

That athlete was Jerome Williams, now of the New York Knicks. This guy is not just a basketball player; he is a "multi-professional." On top of being an NBA athlete, a business man, and to have graduated with a sociology degree, he has acted in movies such as Full Court Miracle from Walt Disney, as well as Harold and Kumar Visit White Castle, appeared in the American TV show Sue Thomas F.B.Eye, and in TV commercials! He also produced the Mission Possible CD, dedicated to pass on a positive message to kids, and will launch Triple Threat this month…

INVESTMENT IN MONTREAL
After becoming involved with young ones in the Toronto community during his four seasons with the Raptors, the 6'9" giant invested in the city of Montreal by becoming a minor-owner in the new basketball team that will begin during the 2005-06 season. He will also be a member of the board of directors!
The name of the team hasn't been released yet, but that won't take too long to happen. But for those who like riddles, the team will bear the name of a very popular American movie.

A HIT IN QUEBEC?
Will we be seduced by basketball? We'll see… The sport is definitely in vogue in the other cities! Many celebrities would tell you! At the Knicks', some of the faithful ones hide in the crowd, like Sean Penn, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Paris Hilton, Beyonce, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Bacon, Ethan Hawke, Jamie Foxx, Bill Murray, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tara Reid, to only name a few! Even athletes show up at the games. We can see Jaromir Jagr, some NBA colleagues, as well as NFLers. We now know where Mark Messier spends some of his nights during the NHL lock-out! Imagine. The tickets are hard to get in the first row, even at the price of $1904.50 US per game!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

How did you decide to contribute to basketball in Montreal?
The owners simply approached me by offering me the opportunity for minor ownership in an ABA team (American Basketball Association). I shared my feelings about basketball in Montreal and I told them it'd be a great opportunity for the city. It'll be a good start for basketball in Montreal, but also for the Toronto fans and Canada in general. It'll give the Toronto Raptors the chance to recruit from Montreal.

Why do you think basketball is not as popular in Quebec than elsewhere?
I think hockey ranks generally first in Canada. Basketball is slowly evolving across Canada, but you know, it didn't just happen in the States overnight either! I also think that because the temperature is colder in Canada, there are less people playing the sport versus their national pastime.

How is the Toronto team perceived in the US?
Huh… well it is perceived as just another NBA franchise. I think it is perceived as a distant team. It's like any other team in the league, but with some characteristics that other NBA teams might not have.

Like what?
The fact that it's in a different country. Even though we are neighbors, like a brother/sister country, the culture is a little different. I don't think the players really perceive it differently when they look at it in general. But I lived there. The culture is different, the fans are different, the people in general are different, but in good ways. Overall it is viewed as just another NBA team, especially after we went to the playoffs.

And you, how was your only trip in Montreal?
Well… It started with a speeding ticket! And I wasn't speeding! But that wasn't in Montreal, so…

Where was it?
That was right before I got to Montreal. [Laughs] But I liked it when I was up there; the culture, the city… I was there for the fashion industry, because a lot of the brands I was dealing with are there. So I was going up there to learn more about the subject. I was only there for a couple of days. I didn't go out very much other than going to a few restaurants and clubs. But it was fun. It's a fun city!

What's your favorite part in hockey?
Well…The best part of hockey, to me, is when they drop the gloves! That is why I go see hockey! I'm honest! I love it when they fight! I LOVE it! I am just waiting for that pinnacle moment! In football, it is physical, there's hitting, but it's nothing special. They have all those pads, they can't really fight. In basketball, there's pushing, there's grabbing, there's holding, but it's nothing… In hockey, you fight! For a minute! Get it out of your system! When you come back, you know that's going to hurt your team. So you have to be smart with how you choose a fight, when you choose the fight, who you choose to fight. You got a mental game going on there! So when they drop those gloves, JYD stands there! [Laughs]

Were you following hockey when you were in Toronto?
Yes! Oh yeah! You had to, just because it was of course way more popular then basketball. I remember when the Maple Leafs didn't make the playoffs… It was a sad day! [Laughs] It was very exciting, because you really see the passion of the fans supporting their team. And once the Toronto Maple Leafs were out of the series, you saw them supporting Calgary, Montreal, or any other Canadian team. That's where you see the whole culture around hockey. They just want their country to win.

What's your opinion on the hockey lock-out?
Being part of the labor dispute in the NBA, a few years back, while I was in the negotiating committee for the NBA players' union, I totally understand the dynamics of what both parties are trying to accomplish. We had a lock-out for a couple of months, but we were able to come to an agreement. I just really feel like the worst part of the lock-outs is the fact that the fans that support us are the ones that take the hit. They are left holding the bag. They don't have the sport they love to watch anymore. I really feel bad for hockey players, fans, and owners, because when it gets to a certain point where no one can agree, everybody suffers.

Are there any racial conflicts in the NBA?
It depends on what issue you really want to look at. I don't think there's anywhere in society where there aren't any racial issues. But I think that everybody is making an effort to get better as a society. I would say there's been a lot of improvement in terms of the number of black coaches, and some improvement in the number of African-American executives around the league. This is the first year that we have a black owner in the NBA. You know, the world isn't perfect, but when there is improvement, that is pretty much all you can hope for. I try to think positive. I think that it's moving in the right direction. It'll never be where anybody wants it to be... especially me, being a minority. But also I got to be thankful that I'm in a country where at least I have some rights.

A lot of NBA players have tattoos. Because of that, several of them give the image of being bad guys. What is your opinion on that one?
I think basketball players are somewhat trendsetters.
I remember exactly when the tattoo phenomenon hit; it was at the same time cornrows hit! I remember when Allen Iverson told us he would change completely, and that he was going to get tattoos and cornrows! Before that, Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway didn't have tattoos. Several players followed and it then became a trend. Personally, I don't have any tattoos and I definitely wouldn't have cornrows! The important part is that whatever you do in this world, you got to stay who you are. If a tattoo makes you happy, or growing your hair out, or being a trendsetter, do it! (…) But ink is bad for the skin, for the kids out there! [Laughs]

Why do you wear your socks so high?
Other then the fact that it is easier for my grandmother to spot me out on television, I used to get into my dad's sock drawer when I was younger to steal his long socks and wear them up high. It became a tradition on the basketball court.

Do you ever have problems related to your height?
Oh yeah! Let's start with vehicles! You know… We can't get in all the cars we want… To this day I still can't have a Ferrari! And not because I can't afford one! [Laughs]

Where do you shop for your pants?
You can't shop! You can't shop at all! Can't shop for shoes, can't shop for pants, can't shop for shirts. You might get away with some shirts from time to time, but that's about it.

What shoes size do you wear?
Sixteen. So… no, that is not happening. Saying all that, shopping is not a good thing. That's not fun. We can only do window shopping or shop for other people.

You have your own mascot?
Yes. I came from Georgetown, where we had a bulldog mascot. So after I got tagged the name Junkyard Dog, I said: "Why not have a mascot?!" It was really because of my community programs that I was doing alongside my brother. Since I couldn't go to all these appearances, we got this idea to replace me. My brother would say, "I don't have JYD, but I have the Junkyard Dog!" So it was a good trade off. We were able to get the same attention from the kids when I wasn't available. And it worked out well, because the program that we were doing is still running in Toronto! I still go up there sometimes during the summer to visit the kids.

What consists of the JYD foundation?
It's a foundation that my brother and I started for the kids in Toronto. It originated in Detroit, under the name of Positive Shades of Black. The organization was founded to represent all the shades of the rainbow coming together, and to represent all that is positive in all ethnicities. Our goal was to reach out to underprivileged kids, help them get goals in life, stay in school and stay away from drugs and alcohol. In Detroit, a third of the children drop out of school. That's very high! So we tried to attack that problem by sending them to after-school mentoring programs for kids, and to encourage them to focus on their school-work. We also tried to give them a good time by giving them tickets to NBA games, as well as autographs, etc. We continued to do the same once I went to Toronto, where we started a new combination of services and help. Our program has expanded to Mississauga and Hamilton, and we continue to try to help kids and get expanded as much as possible.

What do you hate on the road trips?
The worst basketball trip experience, for me, is when a teammate calls me up at 4 a.m. and tells me he has a girl whom he needs to send out to my room. How about that! That's probably the worst…

What has been your most terrible groupie experience?
Groupie experience?! Terrible!? Hmmm… [Thinking]

Don't forget this is for SUMMUM! Not just any magazine!
OK… so you want the really dirty ones, huh? It's in French too, isn't it!

Yes it is! [Laughs] Does that change anything?
Yeah! A lot of people don't read French!

So you can give us even dirtier stories!
I can think of some crazy ones, but… I have to think about the most appropriate. [Laughs] I have to, or else someone from home is going to translate this in English and say, "Hey! You said this in a magazine?" "Did I say that?? Pfff!… They must have missed it! Ahhhh the translators!"

Yes, the translators… they really screwed up! [Laughs]
You want a American groupie experience or an overseas groupie experience? [Laughs] Alright, I'd say the craziest experience is when you… or me… you… [Laughs]… when you are right about to maybe do something, have sex or something like that, and you decide, "You know what? I'm not going to do this." You are kind of shocked. I'd say that's the craziest for me, because the girls are probably not used to that happening. The intimacy just got intensified! And then, you know that means… when I say that you decide not to, I mean, this is bared naked, you know… I'm not naked but they're naked. That's got to be the worst!

And now tell me about the funniest story!
The funniest?! That's probably it! [Laughs] A couple of days after, you think, "What did I do? What was I thinking? I should have listened to my first instinct!" [Laughs]
The funniest thing about me is that I'm more businessman than what most people think. People who know me well know this, but those who don't know me just see a basketball player.

Are you planning on having a second career as an actor?
Hmmm… I'm leaving my doors open. But it's something fun to do. I took acting classes while I was in college, so that's something I definitely enjoy doing. However I don't know if I could do that full time. It's a long day sitting in that trailer.

You need more action!
I need more action! CUT!!! [Laughs]

What would you be if you were not a basketball player?
A pimp! [Laughs] I'M JOKING, I'M JOKING!!! I'd probably be in finance or something like that.