Lou Williams opens up career with Sixers, Allen Iverson, Doc Rivers

Currently, 17-year NBA veteran Lou Williams is known as the best 6th Man in NBA history. He has the most bench points in NBA history, he has won the 6th Man of the Year award three times, and he has done so much on the floor offensively.

Before Williams accomplished that, he was a young player out of high school with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 45th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, Williams came out of South Gwinnett High School and joined a Sixers team led by Allen Iverson and Chris Webber at the time.

Iverson played a significant role in Williams’ development as his veteran and taught him the ropes in the NBA as did Webber and another former Sixer in Kevin Ollie. Another current Sixer, coach Doc Rivers, played a role in helping Williams succeed and he opened up on all of that while joining “The Draymond Green Show” with the Golden State Warriors star.

Williams on the veterans with the Sixers helping him

I had AI. I  had both AIs, but Dre (Andre Iguodala) was more my peer. We was figuring this (expletive) out at the same time, but he still was a big brother to me though. Man, Elton Brand, Chris Webber, (expletive) Kevin Ollie. I owe so many flowers to Kevin Ollie, you know, early in my career. Just as a kid. Like he knew I was a kid and he was just right from me. ‘Aye young fella! After practice, man, I ain’t gonna hold you up! I know you’re trying to get out there, man. Just shoot with me 10-to-15 minutes.’ Like he knew how to communicate with me. Like he was speaking to me like if I didn’t do it, I was letting him down. You know what I’m saying? But that was so big for me because that taught me how to communicate with the next group of young guys when I was in that position. You know what I’m saying? That’s why I have so many special bonds with these young guys because Kevin Ollie taught me how to communicate.

Williams on Philadelphia helping him mature before joining his hometown Atlanta Hawks

I’m glad it played out how it did. I don’t think I wasn’t mature enough. I don’t think I would have been locked in. I don’t think I would have been focused, you know? Just because we still young and you know how it is that was. Your first four or five years, everybody wants to be a part of it. Everybody wants to be a part of it. Everybody wants to experience it and so for me to be so young and being at home and I got a big family. I got a big crew. I got a…