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Jason Williams

Jason Chandler Williams (born November 18, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who specialized as a in the (NBA). Renowned for his unorthodox, high-flying passing ability that evoked flair, Williams earned the "White Chocolate" during his early career with the , where he dazzled fans with no-look passes and behind-the-back assists. Selected seventh overall in the out of the and named to the All-Rookie First Team in 1999 after averaging 12.8 points and 6.0 assists as a , Williams helped anchor the Kings' fast-paced offense alongside stars like and during their late-1990s and early-2000s contention for Western Conference titles. Williams' 13-year NBA tenure spanned stints with (1998–2001), Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies (2001–2004, 2007–2008), (2004–2007), and (2009–2011), where he posted career averages of 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 41.5% from the field. His most notable achievement came in as the Heat's starting , contributing to their first franchise NBA championship by defeating the in six games, with Williams averaging 8.0 points and 4.6 assists in series. Though criticized at times for turnovers and defensive lapses stemming from his risk-taking style, Williams' innovative play influenced a generation of point guards prioritizing creativity and tempo. He retired in 2011 after a brief comeback attempt, later transitioning to coaching youth and occasional media appearances.

Sports figures

Basketball players

Jason Chandler Williams, born November 18, 1975, in , played at from 1994 to 1996 before transferring to the for the 1997–1998 season, where he averaged 17.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game as the starting . Selected seventh overall by the in the , Williams earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in his debut season, averaging 12.8 points and a league-leading 8.2 assists per game while showcasing an unorthodox, high-risk passing style that drew comparisons to flair. The nickname "White Chocolate," coined by a Sacramento Kings media relations assistant impressed by his creative, no-look passes and overall swag reminiscent of urban playground , became synonymous with Williams' , highlighting his entertainment value despite inconsistent shooting efficiency ( 42.7% ). Traded to the (relocated to in 2001) after the 2000–2001 season, he played there through 2005, posting career-high scoring averages of 12.6 points per game in 2001–2002 amid the franchise's early expansion struggles. In December 2005, Williams joined the as a , serving as the starting during their 2006 NBA Championship run, where he averaged 12.3 points and 8.2 assists in the regular season and contributed 8.8 points with 4.7 assists across six Finals games against the . Williams' later career included stints with the (2008), a return to the (2009), and the (2009–2011), where limited playing time due to knee issues and competition at prompted his waiver in January 2011 before a brief Grizzlies reunion. Over 12 NBA seasons, he compiled career averages of 10.5 points, 5.9 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 788 games, with no selections but recognition for elevating team pace and assist totals early in his Kings tenure (e.g., 524 assists in 1999–2000). He announced retirement on April 18, 2011, at age 35, citing physical wear from his aggressive style. Less prominent players sharing the name include Jason Williams (born 1983), who competed in European professional leagues such as the Adriatic League and Italian Serie A but lacked NBA-level notability or sustained high-tier achievements, with career highlights limited to club-level scoring outputs under 15 in secondary competitions.

Other athletes

Jason Williams (born April 23, 1986), an outside linebacker, played at before being selected by the in the third round, 69th overall, of the . He appeared in 60 regular-season games across six NFL seasons, primarily with the Cowboys (2009–2010) and (2010–2014), along with stints on the (2012) and (2014), accumulating 65 combined tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery with no sacks or interceptions recorded. Williams last played in and did not return to thereafter. In , Jason Williams (born December 18, 1973) was drafted by the in the 16th round of the 1996 MLB Draft following a college career at , where he helped secure championships in 1993 and 1996 as an . He competed in minor and independent leagues from 1996 to 2001 as a , , and , appearing in 318 games with a .250 , 22 home runs, and 120 . Jason Williams (born August 11, 1980), a right winger in , appeared in 109 NHL games with the (2001–2002), (2002–2003), and (2003–2004), tallying 15 goals, 14 assists, and 29 points. His professional career extended into after the and his last North American pro season in 2006–2007.

Public officials

District attorneys

Jason Williams, a Democratic , won the Orleans Parish election in the December 5, 2020, runoff against Keva Landrum-Johnson, assuming office on January 11, 2021. His campaign emphasized progressive reforms, including bail reform to reduce , declining to prosecute first-time marijuana possession offenses, theft of items valued under $750 as misdemeanors rather than felonies, and ending the use of laws for enhanced sentences on nonviolent crimes. These policies aimed to address systemic incarceration disparities but faced criticism for undermining deterrence, as evidenced by subsequent high dismissal rates and . Early in his tenure, Williams' office implemented a "decline to prosecute" policy for certain low-level felonies, leading to significant case reductions; a March 2024 Metropolitan Crime Commission (MCC) report documented 1,859 felony case dismissals from open prosecutions through 2022, with 457 defendants rearrested for new offenses, indicating elevated recidivism risks from leniency. The report linked these practices to jail overcrowding reversals and public safety declines, noting only one in five felony arrests resulted in felony convictions in Williams' first year, compared to higher prior rates under predecessor Leon Cannizzaro. New Orleans experienced homicide spikes post-2020, with murders rising from 119 in 2019 to peaks amid national trends but exacerbated locally by carjacking surges—up 153% in 2020 and remaining elevated into 2021—correlating with reduced prosecutorial accountability for repeat offenders. Critics, including the MCC, argued such reforms empirically failed by diminishing consequences for violent and property crimes, fostering urban disorder through causal mechanisms like weakened deterrence. Williams faced federal indictment in August 2021 on 10 counts including conspiracy to defraud the United States, aiding in false tax returns, and failure to file reports for cash transactions over $10,000, stemming from alleged schemes with his former law partner to underreport income from 2017 to 2019. He was acquitted on all charges by a federal jury on July 28, 2022, following 16 hours of deliberation, with prosecutors unable to prove intent beyond reasonable doubt despite evidence of lavish spending amid unreported earnings. In response to rising youth violence, Williams reversed his initial pledge against charging juveniles as adults, admitting in November 2023 that the "never charge juveniles as adults" stance was erroneous amid intersecting crime waves; his office began such transfers as early as May 2021 for severe cases like carjackings and murders. By 2024-2025, ongoing scrutiny highlighted persistent mismanagement, with 25% of 2021 dismissals leading to rearrests and examples of refused charges on repeat offenders enabling further crimes, such as a July 2025 hit-and-run suspect previously declined for prosecution. In May 2025, Governor demanded investigation into mass jailhouse case dismissals under Williams, citing operational failures. Williams defended his approach in a November 2023 , arguing personal victimization—including a 2023 —reinforced commitment to evidence-based processes over reactive punitiveness, though data showed lenient policies correlated with sustained elevations until broader interventions like increased policing contributed to later declines. Supporters viewed reforms as essential for equity, yet empirical outcomes underscored trade-offs, with high and crime persistence revealing limitations of de-prosecution strategies in high-violence contexts.

Other notable individuals

Entertainment figures

Jason Williams was an American actor active in low-budget during the and into the , frequently as youthful leads or antagonists in drive-in features emphasizing , , and . Known for his blonde, charming appearance, he starred in approximately a dozen such productions, often collaborating with producer on adult-oriented films. His most prominent role was as the titular hero in Flesh Gordon (1974), a hardcore pornographic spoof of the serials directed by Michael Benveniste and Howard Ziehm, which featured explicit sexual content alongside elements and gross-out humor, grossing modestly at drive-ins. Williams also appeared in Osco's Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Fantasy (1976) as the , a loose of Lewis Carroll's work with nude scenes and psychedelic visuals targeted at adult theaters. In non-pornographic , Williams portrayed a vicious criminal in Cop Killers (1973), a depicting drug deals, shootouts, and underworld antics that played at venues. He played a bitter in (1979), a sex comedy involving collegiate hijinks and cheerleader tropes common to the genre's youth-oriented drive-in output. Later credits shifted toward horror-infused action, including the arrogant college jock in the time-travel sci-fi thriller (1982), where an ancient Egyptian scarab unleashes supernatural terror on a university campus. Williams essayed a detective investigating vampire murders in Vampire at Midnight (1988), a late-entry creature feature amid declining theatrical runs for such B-movies. Williams' screen career tapered off in the late 1980s as drive-in theaters closed en masse—down from over 4,000 in 1970 to fewer than 1,000 by 1985—and audiences migrated to rentals, reducing demand for quickie exploitation productions. No verifiable major roles or media comebacks followed, with his output limited to sporadic writing and producing credits into the .

Academics and miscellaneous

Jason Williams is a full professor of biology at Hofstra University, where his laboratory research centers on marine invertebrates. Jason Williams serves as an assistant professor of computer science in the James M. Hull College of Business Administration at Augusta University, with scholarly work addressing mis/disinformation, online health communities, information technology usage, cybersecurity, and IT strategy. Jason R. Williams holds a and has conducted evaluations in the social sciences, including roles at the , Casey Family Programs, and the University of Washington's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute. In educational , Jason Williams acts as of the DNA Learning Center at , supporting programs in education. Among business professionals, Jason Williams co-founded and leads Cromulence, LLC as CEO, specializing in cybersecurity; he holds a BS in and started his career at . Jason Williams was named of Janus Core, a division of Janus International Group LLC, on May 19, 2025. Another Jason Williams advanced from intern to CEO of Blackfoot Communications over 15 years, as of October 2024.

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