Blogging the Journey #2: Deron Williams
01 October 2008
Igniting the Blaze: From Jason Kidd to Grandpa Williams, D-Will writes about how his childhood heroes have inspired his game.
Some people are born leaders, and I think I was one of them. I was always a point guard growing up and I just always wanted to take that responsibility. And there were a lot of people in my life who helped show me what that means.
When I was younger I watched the guys on Dream Team a lot. So when I went out and played, I would try to emulate them, you know. But as I got a little older, I started to really like bigger guards like myself, but fast guys who can also score and play great defense.
At home, my mom was always my hardest critic. After a game, when I was growing up, she would just let me have it. If I missed free-throws, if I didn't defend well, whatever it was. But it's to the point now where I like going and talking to my mom after a game. She's still just going to point out the bad, but at the same time it's helping me. She definitely always helped me and definitely made me a better player. She’ll be there in Beijing next month too, probably telling me everything I did wrong.
As for other motivators, I'm representing our country. That's the most important thing. It's not the name on your back – it's for the country. It's for the troops fighting for us overseas in Iraq. You know, they fight for us so we can be independent and survive, and this is our way of fighting and giving back to them. You know, doing our battle on the basketball court.
I’m very close to my grandfather, who served in World War II, and my uncle served in the Gulf War. So I know what it's like to have family over there and be worried about them, day in and day out. I know how people's families feel, just to want their loved ones back home safe. So we just appreciate everything they do for us and, like I said, that's our way to give back to them is by winning a gold medal. Because I know they're going to be watching, wherever they're at.
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