Deron Michael Williams (born June 26, 1984 in
Parkersburg, West Virginia) is an American
professional basketball player currently with the
Utah Jazz of the NBA. Prior to that, he played for
the University of Illinois men's basketball team.
Point guards Williams and Chris Paul of the New
Orleans Hornets have shared a friendly rivalry that
began in the 2005 NBA Draft, where they were the
third and fourth selections overall. Whether
Williams or Paul is the superior point guard is the
subject of frequent debate among sports writers and
fans.
Deron Williams attended Arbor Creek Middle School in
Carrollton, Texas. Williams attended The Colony High
School in The Colony, Texas and averaged 17 points,
9.4 assists, and 2 steals per game as a junior in
2001. That year he lead his team, the Cougars, to a
32-2 record and the Class 5A state semifinals. In
2002 as a senior he averaged 17.6 points, 8.4
assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game. His
team, the Cougars, went 29-2 that season, losing the
5A Texas State Final to Fort Bend Willowridge,
featuring TJ Ford and Daniel Ewing. Williams was a
teammate of Bracey Wright who went on to play for
Big Ten rival Indiana University.
