For most professional athletes, joining the starting lineup is one of the hallmarks of a great player. It’s where the money is most lucrative, and the spotlight is brightest.
But former NBA guard Lou Williams was one of the few who relished coming off the bench despite having the scoring talent to start. He was a highly valuable player in his prime and was considered one of the best scorers in the game for a while before his eventual decline.
In a chat on The Draymond Green Show, he reflected on his role as the sixth man and explained why he believes redefined the narrative about coming off the bench.
“I gotta have it. I don’t shy away from that because when we start having the sixth man conversation, I’m the only one that embraced it, this is a lifestyle, you know what I’m saying. I was like, if this is my job, I’m going to make it embarrassing for me to come off the bench. I just embraced the lifestyle of it. I made it OK for kids to want to even accept that position. I made it OK for kids to want to even accept that position. And I made the s**t look cool, you know what I’m saying. So I will give it to myself,” Williams said.
If they renamed the 6th Man Of The Year award, who does that go to?
LOU WILLIAMS: "I gotta have it…I embraced the lifestyle of it. I made it OK for kids to want to even accept that position. And I made the s**t look cool."
(Via @TheVolumeSports) pic.twitter.com/HvH5iX1N21
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 21, 2022
Williams, 35, has played for six different teams over his career, achieving various levels of success with each one. In Atlanta, he is more of a veteran leader than an actual contributor on the court, but he clearly carries some degree of insight and wisdom.
In today’s game, it’s rare for a player of Lou’s caliber to keep his pride in check and embrace the role that is given to him. As a 3x Sixth Man of the Year winner, his career can be stacked up against some of the best.
