Hornets Hive Cast1-14-25 - One-on-One with Hornets Center Mark Williams
Charlotte Hornets starting center Mark Williams joins Sam Farber to discuss his journey back to the floor after missing nearly a year due to injuries. Plus they talk about his goals for the seasons, what it's like playing under Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee, and why LaMelo Ball should be an NBA All Star.
Welcome to the Hornets Hoodcast, presented by Charlotte I ear nosen Throat Associates, the official I ear nosen Throatcare provider of the Charlotte Hornets. Here's your host, Sam Farber.
Welcome to another edition of the Hornets iivee cast, your Hornets podcast with all the notes, quote, san daily buzz around your favorite NBA team. I'm Sam Farber and it is a pleasure and a privileged to have you with us here once again on the Hornet's Podcast, brought to you by Santa Charlotte I ear nosen Throat Associates, the official I ear nosen Throatcare provider of the Charlotte Hornets. It's an off day for the Hornets, but never an off day here on the HHC. Today we have a special, exclusive one on one sit down interview with Hornets starting center Mark Williams. He goes through the details of his return to play after missing almost a full year due to injury. We also talk about some of his goals as an NBA player, his new relationship with the new head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, Charles Lee, and he gives his reasoning for why Lamello ought to be an All Star for the upcoming festivities in San Francisco later on this year. Without further ado, let's welcome back to the Hornet Podcast. Hornet Starting Center, Mark Williams, Mark, thanks so much for the.
Time, YEP, appreciate you guys.
You've shown a lot of resiliency overcoming injuries over the last now almost a year and a half. What can you tell us about your journey back to the floor here for season three?
Yeah, I mean, it's just great to be back out here. It was definitely tough being out for that long. Obviously you're trying to be out there for your teammates and it's just when you can't do anything about it, it's tough. So, you know, credit to my teammates for you know, stay positive, keeping my spirits up, and obviously now being back on the floor is great emotionally.
How did it feel getting back on the floor the first time, getting in front of the fans, hearing them cheer for you as you were announcing the starting lab the first time, all those first that happened again for you now in your career.
Yeah, it was great. You know, you almost reappreciate it being out for that long and then coming back and having a new sense of appreciation being back on the.
Floor outside of the game itself. What did you miss about the life of an NBA player, an active NBA player in that time that you were injured and unable to compete.
Obviously, just being able to compete every night, you know, being around your team bates. Obviously some trips. I wasn't able to travel, so I would say that sort of stuff. I think just the day to day. And then your routine is a little bit different too. You know you used to you know, working out and stuff on off days, practice days, so you know, your rhythm's a little thrown off.
Probably gave you an opportunity to assess your own routine and see what other players are doing. What's different about your routine now as you've gotten back into a rhythm again from when you were starting off as a rookie.
I wouldn't say too much is different. I would just say it's more of a focus pregame, you know, all my stuff in the weight room before the game, stretching, and I think just my own core routine, you know, just the consistency of it, just keeping it the same, preparing my body to be ready for, you know, playing minutes every night.
One part part of the pregame routine that's very visible, or at least we try and make it so. Is the walk ends the pregame fits. What's something that you're thinking about as you put together your pregame wardrobe Jordan's anything like that.
Yeah, I think it just depends on the day. You know, what you want to wear, who you're playing, how you're feeling, the weather. I think there's a number of factors that go into what I'm wearing.
I know you're a shoe guy. Any favorite pair of Jordans you have or any new releases you're looking forward.
To, Probably like those yellow Travis Scott's I love those. Yeah, I'd probably say those are my favorites of the Jordans for sure.
Mark Williams our guest today here on the Hornets. I've cast Mark the big change this year for the franchise. One of the big changes there's been a lot has been a new head coach, Charles Lee. What's been the biggest change that you've seen for the team under his leadership.
Yeah, obviously having a whole new obviously head coach and then staff. It's just it's different. You know, the principles he's bringing in are going to be different than Cliff. You know, East Coach is going to bring something different. But I think, you know, with him, it's you know, on defense, you know, having the appropriate amount of help, defensive intensity, rebounding fifty to fifty balls, making all the right hustle players offensively, you know, moving the ball, getting the right shot, and just you know, transition, you know, playing hard. I think ultimately all those things come down and play hard, putting you in your best effort every single night.
He's talked publicly about the importance of a big man at rim protector center in his defensive scheme. What has it been like figuring out his approach to it and maybe adding elements of your own game.
Yeah, you know, protecting the paint is a really big theme for him, and I think for me it's also something I'm you know, trying to do every time I'm on the floor, protecting the rim, whether it's blocking shots, altering shots, you know, just having an impact all around the paint. And then obviously it's you know coverage stuff. You know, whatever coverage we're in, being able to you know, whether if I'm going to the guard stand back on the big guarding maybe a non shooter or whatever. It is, just always being active, always having an impact on the defensive side of the ball.
It seemed like establishing a relationship with him was very important to you and several of your teammates. You saw even before he came to Charlotte. He was on the championship run in Boston, and on the day they win the championship, we see you and some of your teammates Brandon Miller, Grant Williams there. What prompted you to go there? What did you take away from that experience?
Yeah, obviously going to a game of that, you know, that's where you want to go, right the finals, that's like the highest level of competition, highest intensity, But obviously the championship, like that's what you're trying to get to. So to see that level of intensity in the playoffs obviously, to see what it takes to get there, the intensity they're playing with every every single game. Obviously it's first the four. So yeah, it was cool to be there, cool to be a part of it and see what it takes.
Does your motivation feel different now having seen that up close?
Yeah, definitely, you know, it's cool to see that's something you want to be a part of, and being able to see that definitely helps the motivation to go.
There's a lot of steps along the way to gain there, and I've heard one of the steps you have is starting in every arena that you have a list maybe yeah, yeah, yeah, where did that come from?
So my rookie year, I was in the G League for the first I don't know, probably to like December, so I didn't get to play in every arena because like there was like road trips and stuff when I was in the G And then last year I was hurt the back half of the year. So there's a couple of arenas I haven't played in yet or if I played in and I wasn't like playing real minutes yet because I wasn't in the rotation. So yeah, I have a couple left that I need to play in. I got to play in Crypto into a Domus New So that's one at OKC at Memphis, at Miami because I don't count the preseason at Miami, Denver at Denver, at Sacramento. Yeah, it's kind of crazy, like you played the teams, but it's like you always playing at home or whatever because West Coast teams for one in one. So yeah, so hopefully this West Coast trip I'll be able to knock most of those out.
Definitely seems like something that's important to you.
I mean, I'm trying to play every single every single game I can, so obviously to be out was tough for me, and now I'm gonna have a chance to do that.
Mark Williams our guest today here on the Hornet Time Cast. You've got a lot of experience playing in iconic venues, including your home in college, playing at Duke, and we got to start the season this year with the Hornets being back on campus. What was that experience like? I'm sure muted a little bit because you were injured at the time, but still getting to be back on campus, what was it like for you?
Yeah, it was cool obviously to see col Shire coach Kkame, you know, the whole staff, players, you know, it's a cool. It's cool to come back and see everybody staff wise. Obviously, you know, I was just there right So to be back in Durham was great obviously, just to be back in that environment and talk, you know, to the guys showing them what they were missing not going to do. But yeah it was cool.
Who needed the most talking to about what they missed out by not going to do?
Yeah?
I mean Mellow, Mellow. If he went to college, you know.
It would have been a great blue devil.
Yeah, okay, uh Mello. I always tell Miles because we be Michigan State in the tournament, trying to think who else, Josh, I mean we played Arizona this year. We beat them. Yeah, I mean really everybody. It was smoked for everybody.
The family ties to do. They run deep. Your sister Elizabeth was there. She was a spectacular player. What was it like growing up watching her become a star and start on the path that you were hoping to follow?
Yeah, it was great, you know growing up I got to see her play basketball and kind of got to see her journey. Obviously her playing in the McDonald's game and then at Duke Canal in the WNBA. So for her, you know, being as talented as she was and just continuing to be on that path definitely inspired me, you know, to be the player that I am now.
For people a generation or two older than you, like myself, you hear all these stories or heard all these stories about Reggie Miller and Cheryl Miller, and obviously both were spectacular players. Many consider Cheryl Miller to be the greatest female basketball player of all time. Are there any stories like that of you where you had a thought you had a big game but big sister maybe did something better that day, or anything where it maybe humbled you a little bit in the family dynamic.
Yeah, I mean she might, I think she. I mean, she's going to have more college accolades. She did all four years and only did two, so she she's got me in that aspect. Fun fact, though high school we had a thousand points on the same day, but it was just like eight or nine years apart, I think, but it was like the same day in February. Wow. Yeah, it's kind of crazy.
That's a cool connection. Obviously, there's a lot of basketball families that included on this team. You're not the only younger sibling to star. LaMelo Ball had a similar relationship with his brothers a little closer in age. But still, what does it bring to your overall game as a player to be the younger sibling and to get to play against the older sibling watch them go through it. What do you think you and LaMelo maybe have in common from that experience.
Yeah, obviously us both having an older relative, you know, they have somebody that can take away stuff from their games, what they see. I mean, obviously it's a little different with Lonzo just because he's also in the league, so he's probably not watching as much. But now it's definitely a cool aspect to have someone you can always talk to about the game and just to you know, have another in his case, big brother for me, big sister due you know, talk to and look up to.
Going back to Duke briefly, one of your teammates there, Paolo bank Caro became the number one overall pick, has become an All Star. What did it do for your game playing with him in college and sending you up to play with all star talent like LaMelo Ball and others here in Charlotte.
Yeah, it was great. Obviously when we were together my sophomore year, he had a great year. You know, the run we had. You know, he was making a lot of big plays for us, and I think, you know, when he got to Orlando though, he was already kind of on the way up. So I think just him coming in making an impact for them was huge, and he's obviously doing great so far, and you know he gets back playing, he'll he'll be killing it.
Having had that experience, what does it compare with when when you look at playing now with Brandon Miller LaMelo ball? What's unique about those two in their partnership with you.
Both super talented guys. Obviously Melo you know he can score from anywhere, playmate, super creative, you know, stuff on the fly, honestly, stuff you've probably never seen. And then Brandon obviously his ability to score on all three levels athleticism, three point shooting, creativity in the in the mid range. So both of those guys are super talented. They're only going to continue to get better, and you know, the sky's the limit for both of them.
You've had a lot of great point guards, I'm sure in your career. What's different about a LaMelo lab the LaMelo pass?
Uh, honestly, just the impact, Like defenses are just going to have so much attention towards Mello because his ability to just step back at anytime, shoot off one foot. He might throw it late, throw a no look, throw it to the same side, maybe throw it over his head to the opposite corner, like, there's just so much he can do, and honestly, there's times you don't know what he's gonna do as a defender. So for me, just being ready right so if it's a lot late drop off, just makes my life a little bit easier having a one less defender on me.
Last question for you, it's All Star voting season. Why should LaMelo Ball be an All Star?
I think the question is why shouldn't he be an All Star? There's you know, thirty seven and five or whatever. It is just his ability to score, his ability to playmate, you know, do a lot for this team offensively. I mean, I think there's just not many better than him right now. So I think it's honestly not a question.
Well, Mark, I hope as you continue to ascend in your career we're having the same conversation about you and being an All Star so sometime down the road. But thanks so much for joining us today here on the Hornets Podcast. Best of luck the rest of the season.
Appreciate it.
That's going to do it for this edition of the HHC. Thanks again to Mark Williams for sitting down with us. Thanks to our producer Rob longo for putting this podcast together. Most of all to all of you for tuning in. Tomorrow we will have a game preview for you, getting a set for Hornets versus the Utah Jazz. Looking forward to bringing you that episode of the ac Until next time, for all of us here, I'm Sam Farber saying it's been a pleasure and a privilege having you along. We'll talk to you next time right here on the Hornets Podcast.
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