Jason Williams didn’t hesitate when asked who the best athlete he’s ever seen is.
Williams, famous for his streetball style of play that lit up the NBA and earned him the nickname ‘White Chocolate’, named former high school teammate and NFL legend Randy Moss as the most impressive physical specimen he’s ever witnessed.
Williams and Moss attended DuPoint High School in West Virginia, where they were both two-sport athletes in basketball and football.
Before he was breaking receiving records as an NFL wide receiver, Moss was voted one of the 50 greatest high school football players of all time, scored a school record 1,713 career points in basketball, was a state champion in the 100 and 200-meter sprints, and played as the starting center fielder for his high school baseball team.
At the same time, Williams, who dabbled as a quarterback but ultimately didn’t like taking hits, was balling out for the DuPont Panthers basketball team.
The 1994 West Virginia Player of the Year led the Panthers, along with Moss, to the state championship before being defeated by Martinsburg in the final.
He won the Mr. Basketball award for West Virginia in 1995, a year before Moss won both Mr. Football and Basketball.
It’s fair to say Williams and Moss go way back — they starred in a Nike commercial together in 1999 — and ‘White Chocolate’ still believes his former teammate could have been a star in any sport.
“I’m going take it a step further – not just the best receiver. To me, I played with a lot of good athletes; bruh is the best athlete I’ve ever been around,” Williams said about Moss in his appearance on the All The Smoke podcast.
“I mean, when I talk about athletes, I’m thinking like can he hoop? Can he throw a baseball? Can he sprint faster than you? Can he jump higher than you? Can he throw a fishing rod further than you? All that, bruh. He do everything. He going to beat all y’all…He was player of the year in basketball our years, and I was player of the year in football,” Williams added.
The two phenoms ultimately went their separate ways, Moss to the NFL, where he was drafted 21st overall by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998, and Williams to the NBA, joining the Sacramento Kings No. 7 overall in that same year’s draft.
Moss became one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history, without winning a Super Bowl, while point guard Williams suited up for four teams during his 13-year NBA career — the Kings, Grizzlies (twice), Heat, and Magic.
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Williams’ crowing glory came in 2006, when he won an NBA championship with Miami alongside stars like Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, and Gary Payton.
Williams is a close friend of Shaq, having been neighbors with ‘The Big Aristotle’ in Orlando for three years.
“I was the one who helped broker the deal this summer”, O’Neal said in 2005 of the five-team, 13-player trade that brought Williams to Miami from Memphis.
“He wanted to play with me and I wanted to play with a guard who loves to pass and I think it’ll be a good combination for myself and [guard] Dwyane Wade.”
While he’ll always be remembered as a champion, Williams’ lasting legacy is one of being among the most electrifying passers in basketball history, and one of the few players who can hold a candle to Los Angeles Lakers legendary floor general Magic Johnson.
‘White Chocolate’, a moniker bestowed on Williams by a media relations assistant who was in awe of the guard’s swag and pizazz, dazzled audiences with his flashy style and creative assists.
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Williams’ ball handling and slick behind-the-back passing skills made him a fan favorite, and his signature elbow pass remains one of the most famous dishes in NBA history.
In the Rookie Challenge of the NBA All-Star Weekend in 2000, Williams made a no-look, behind-the-back pass off the elbow on a full sprint to Raef LaFrentz.
“I did it so you all wouldn’t ask me to ever do it again”, Williams said.
The Heat named Williams one of their top 25 players of all time in 2007.
Four years later, Williams decided to call time on his career following a brief return to Memphis.
He remains a cult figure, with one of the most exhilarating highlight reel packages you’re ever likely to see.