Sacramento Kings (1998–2001) Following his suspension by the University of Florida, Williams decided to make himself eligible for the
NBA draft. He was the seventh overall selection in the
1998 NBA draft by the
Sacramento Kings. In
his rookie year, the Kings, with a roster that included newcomers Williams,
Chris Webber,
Vlade Divac, and
Peja Stojaković, turned into a playoff contender. That year, Williams' number 55 jersey was among the top five sellers of
all NBA players. On July 20, 2000, Williams was suspended for the first five games of the
2000–01 NBA season for failure to comply with his treatment obligations under the NBA's anti-drug program. The NBA does not release details of violations of the anti-drug program. On February 28, 2001, Williams allegedly shouted racist slurs to
Michael Ching, a
Golden State Warriors season ticket-holder, and to several other
Asian Americans seated beside Ching during a Warriors game at the
Oakland Arena. As recounted by a letter Ching sent to NBA commissioner
David Stern, Williams retaliated against heckling made by Ching and his party midway through the first half. The NBA eventually levied a $15,000 fine on Williams for cursing at fans.
Nike decided to change a planned advertising campaign featuring Williams as a result of his alleged actions as well. Williams has since apologized for the incident.
Memphis Grizzlies (2001–2005) By 2001, the Kings had concluded that Williams' behavior made him more trouble than he was worth, and general manager
Geoff Petrie was concerned that Williams had not developed into a more complete point guard. In June—just weeks before team moved to
Memphis, Tennessee—the Kings traded Williams and
Nick Anderson to the
Vancouver Grizzlies for
Mike Bibby and
Brent Price. With the Grizzlies on November 30, 2001, Williams scored a career-high 38 points and recorded 11 assists, during a 102-85 win over the
Houston Rockets. The following season, in 2002, Grizzlies' general manager
Jerry West hired
Hubie Brown out of retirement to coach the team. The team improved by a franchise record 28 wins in Brown's first season. After Memphis was swept by the
Phoenix Suns in the
2005 Playoffs, Williams was involved in an altercation with Geoff Calkins, a columnist for the
Commercial Appeal. Sources said that Williams screamed in Calkins' ear and took his pen away from him. Calkins had previously quoted Williams as saying, "I'm happy. I go home and see my kids and my wife and I'm OK. All of this [stuff] is secondary to me." Calkins was critical of the Grizzlies' lackadaisical play and had alleged that Williams did not care about winning basketball games. Williams was fined $10,000 for the incident on May 4, 2005.
Miami Heat (2005–2008) Championship season (2005–2006) in 2006 On August 2, 2005, Williams and teammate
James Posey were two of thirteen players involved in the biggest trade in league history that saw them being dealt to the
Miami Heat in exchange for shooting guard
Eddie Jones. Williams started at point guard for the Heat in the 2005–06 campaign, playing a total of 59 games due to a knee injury but placing second only to
Dwyane Wade in minutes per game. He was the third leading scorer for Miami averaging 12.3 points a game, only trailed Wade with 4.9 assists per contest and was one of three players on the team with over 100 three-point baskets for the season. In the playoffs his averages were lower than the regular season, but he scored in double figures 11 times in the post-season including 21 points on 10 of 11 shooting in Game 6 of the Eastern Finals against the
Detroit Pistons. Miami closed out Detroit in that game and won the NBA Championship over the
Dallas Mavericks, giving Williams his first and only title.
Dip in quality (2006–2008) In the 2006–07 season, Williams was limited to 61 games, of which he started 55. He averaged 10.9 points and 5.3 assists during this season. Williams struggled in the postseason, averaging 5.8 points per game and 3.5 assists per game. His struggles contributed to the Heat being swept by the Bulls in four games in the first round of the playoffs. In the 2007–08 season, Williams played 67 games while averaging 8.7 points and 4.6 assists per game. He shot 41.5 percent from the field, 86.3 percent from the free-throw line, and 35.3 percent from beyond the three-point arc. In March, he had 34 points versus Orlando, connecting on five three-point baskets. He had two double-doubles: one against Phoenix and one against the Bucks; both were 21-point, 10-assist performances.
Orlando Magic (2009–2011) in 2009 In the summer of 2008, Williams signed with the
Los Angeles Clippers to a one-year deal. However, on September 26, 2008, Williams announced his retirement from the NBA after 10 years due to persistent injuries. In February 2009, Williams announced he would attempt a return to the NBA. On August 19, 2009, Williams signed with the
Orlando Magic. The move reunited Williams with
Stan Van Gundy, his former coach in Miami, who pushed the team to make the signing. Orlando is located just south of Gainesville, where he had gone to college. Williams played in all 82 games for the Magic that year, including 18 starts when
Jameer Nelson was injured. He also played in all 14 of their playoff games, as the Magic advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in six games. Williams re-signed with the team on August 3, 2010. On September 29, he had arthroscopic knee surgery, though he was still able to play the season-opener on October 28. After missing time due to injury, Williams was unable to crack the Magic's rotation behind Nelson and new acquisitions
Chris Duhon and
Gilbert Arenas. He was granted his release from the team on January 26, 2011.
Return to Memphis (2011) Williams signed a two-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies on February 7, 2011, returning to the team where he was their all-time assists leader (since surpassed by
Mike Conley). The rest of the season was fully guaranteed, with a player option for the second year of the contract. On April 18, 2011, Williams officially announced his second retirement from the NBA. ==BIG3 career==