Los Angeles Clippers supersub Lou Williams considered retirement only two years ago after being part of the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets.
The three-time Sixth Man of the Year candidly told Shams Charania of Stadium what it was like to go through that process and what made him consider hanging them up for good after being shipped to a third team in the span of six months:
“I was done,” said Williams. “Yeah, I was done. Like I said, three teams in six months? You're kind of looking around and you got to be realistic with yourself. Like, is this it?
“We've seen this movie before where guys get bounced around and usually they're gonna stop bouncing. You're going to be sitting at home waiting for a phone call. So I was in that space and I had a conversation with Doc and he was like, ‘I don't know what these other teams are thinking, but we need you and you can get comfortable, you're gonna be here.' That meant a lot to me and it kind of gave me the confidence and the reassurance to get prepared for the season. I'm glad I did, I'm glad I changed my mindset.”
“I was done. I was done. Three teams in six months … ‘Is this it?’”
Clippers guard Lou Williams tells NBA Insider @ShamsCharania he was planning to retire after the Chris Paul trade in 2017 before an important conversation with Doc Rivers. pic.twitter.com/xVqskTUOzK
— Stadium (@Stadium) December 18, 2019
Williams had started the 2016-17 season playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and was traded to the Houston Rockets before the deadline, spending just enough time for a cup of coffee in Clutch City before he was dealt to the Clippers along with six other players in a blockbuster offseason trade for Chris Paul right before the start of free agency.
While that must have been a whirlwind for Williams, his best years were still ahead of him.
He would go on to average a career-best 22.6 points that 2017-18 season as an integral part of the Clippers' offense, earning his second Sixth Man of the Year award, then doing so again last season with a 20-point scoring average.
Lou Williams also netted a three-year, $24 million extension halfway through last season, which only gave him the comfort level and stability he desired after failing to be with one team for longer than two seasons after leaving Philadelphia in 2012.
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