{"product_id":"life-is-not-an-accident-a-memoir-of-reinvention-paperback","title":"Life Is Not an Accident: A Memoir of Reinvention - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJay Williams\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Bestseller\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis big-hearted memoir by the most promising professional basketball player of his generation details his rise to NBA stardom, the terrible accident that ended his career and plunged him into a life-altering depression, and how he ultimately found his way out of the darkness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTen years ago, Jay Williams was at the beginning of a brilliant professional basketball career. The Chicago Bulls' top draft pick--and the second pick of the entire draft--he had the great Michael Jordan's locker. Then he ran his high-performance motorcycle head-on into a light pole, severely damaging himself and ending his career.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this intense, hard-hitting, and deeply profound memoir, Williams talks about the accident that transformed him. Sometimes, the memories are so fresh, he feels like he'll never escape the past. Most days, he finds a quiet peace as a commentator on ESPN and as an entrepreneur who can only look back in astonishment at his younger self--a kid who had it all, thought he was invincible, and lost everything . . . only to gain new wisdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWilliams also shares behind the scenes details of life as an All-American. He tells it straight about the scandalous recruiting process and his decision to return to Duke and Coach K--a man who taught him about accountability--to finish his education. He also speaks out about corruption--among coaches, administrators, players, and alumni--and about his time in the NBA, introducing us to a dark underworld culture in the pros: the gambling, drugs, and sex in every city, with players on every team. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a kid, Jay Williams pretended he was making the game-winning shot while playing basketball in his backyard. He kept right on making shots until he became an NCAA champion and two-time national player of the year at Duke, and the second overall NBA draft pick in 2002.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut after just one season with the Chicago Bulls, Williams's basketball playing career ended after a horrific motorcycle accident. In an instant, the man with as fast a first step as any point guard in the history of basketball could no longer do anything for himself, including walk.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eLife Is Not an Accident\u003c\/em\u003e, Jay Williams shares his story of being a young man trying to wrest control of his life from his overinvolved parents, from the pleasures and perils of fame and money, and from the near-fatal mistake that threatened to define him. After a decade spent recovering from his injuries, Williams recounts with a rare honesty his hard-fought path to college basketball stardom and the painful lessons he's learned.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNow in his thirties, Jay Williams is convinced that the crash that almost killed him at twenty-one was no accident, but a tragedy that taught him how to live.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 272\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 x 7.9 x 5.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 11, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45613609975852,"sku":"9780062327994","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/smartsupplydeals.com\/products\/life-is-not-an-accident-a-memoir-of-reinvention-paperback","provider":"Smart supply deals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}