Lou Williams is one of the most electrifying scorers to ever come off the bench in NBA history, but he also has one of the most legendary off-court stories.
On the Underground Lounge podcast, Williams shared an insane story about his rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he got caught up in a wild bet with Allen Iverson and Chris Webber, leading to him slapping his own head coach, Mo Cheeks, on the back of the head.
“Oh, I got one. I had to smack the s**t out of Mo Cheeks.”
“So I was a rookie for the Sixers. My vets were Allen Iverson and Chris Webber. Mind you, I was a dead-serious athlete at this time—never drank, never smoked—straight out of high school. And Allen Iverson was my idol.”
“I looked up to this dude, worshiped the ground he walked on. But they knew I was a kid, and they knew every time they walked in the room, I was in awe. So they would f*** with me all the time.”
“After the game, the back of the bus was like the cool kid section. I was A.I.’s rook, so I was allowed to sit in the back. No other rookies or second-year guys could sit there. They were like, “Young fella, you had your first drink yet?” I said, “I don’t drink. I ain’t into that.”
“They had some six-packs of beer back there. So after the game, they’re drinking their beers or whatever, and we’re on our way to the plane, headed to the next city. Chris Webber says, “I’ll bet you $15,000 if you down three bottles of this beer. You gotta drink the three beers in seven minutes.”
“That’s 16 ounces per bottle, I think. And I had never drunk before.”
“I did it, by the way. I did that s**t. I was gonna get that cheese. $15,000 sounded like $15 million at that time. I was gonna get that cheese. These motherf***ers literally had to carry me onto the plane.”
“So I get on the plane, and Chris Webber says, “Hey, I’ll give you another $15,000.” At this point, I’m drunk, they’re laughing, and now I’m the entertainment for the night. So now they’re just throwing stupid shit on the table.”
“I bet you another $15,000 you won’t take your shirt off, go to the back of the plane, and smack Mo Cheeks on the back of his head.” Mo Cheeks was our head coach. Cash was on the table. I took my shirt off, ran to the back of the plane. It was slow motion—I’m jogging on the plane, and Mo is looking at me. I’m getting closer and closer to him, and he’s staring at me.”
“I said, “Sorry, Mo,” puh. That’s probably the craziest thing I ever did on a dare—I slapped my head coach in the back of his head. He laughed because he knew what was going on.”
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As a rookie with the Philadelphia 76ers, Lou Williams was in awe of veterans like Allen Iverson and Chris Webber, who often played pranks on him. One night, after a game, Webber bet Williams $15,000 that he couldn’t chug three beers in seven minutes—despite never drinking before, Williams took the challenge and won.
Already intoxicated, he was then dared to take off his shirt and slap head coach Mo Cheeks on the back of the head for another $15,000. Drunk and eager to cash in, Williams followed through, but to his relief, Cheeks laughed it off, understanding the rookie was just being put through a wild initiation.
Williams entered the NBA straight out of South Gwinnett High School in Georgia after being selected 45th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2005 NBA Draft. In his rookie season (2005-06), he appeared in just 30 games and averaged 1.9 points, 0.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game while playing limited minutes.
The transition from high school to the NBA was tough, but Williams would eventually carve out a long and successful career.
While Lou Williams’ career was defined by clutch scoring, instant offense, and fearless shot-making, stories like these show just how much fun he had along the way. From being a rookie caught up in veteran hijinks to becoming one of the most respected bench scorers in NBA history, Lou Will lived the NBA lifestyle to the fullest.
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