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Last February, the Charlotte Hornets traded center Mark Williams to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the trade was rescinded after the big man didn’t pass L.A.’s physical exam.
Williams (now a member of the Phoenix Suns after a separate deal last June) and his representation clearly didn’t agree with the Lakers’ assessment.
On Wednesday, the latest episode of The Old Man and the Three podcast dropped, and Williams was a guest on the show. He talked about his experience in detail and also had some choice words for the Lakers.
In essence, Williams expressed his excitement about heading to L.A. He was about to head to the Lakers, and then things got awry after the failed physical.
“And then they tell me [about the failed physical/rescinded trade]. I’m like, that can’t be, like, I just played the Bucks that night that I got the call I’m getting traded. I’m out here. They’re like, ‘Yeah, it’s done. Like, we’re not going back.’
“I was like, y’all can’t undo the undo? Like, what you mean? They’re like, ‘No, it’s done.’
“So I’m hot. Like, I was excited. I was, like, you know, it’s time. You know, Charlotte wanted to trade me, whatever. Like, I’m excited. We play them first game out the break, and then I got to go back to Charlotte. So All-Star break, I’m just like, ‘What the f–k?’
“And then, first game out is L.A, of course, like, you can’t write it any other way…
“I’m just trying to show, like, the rest of the time, like. Honestly, like, f–k y’all. Like, I was I was just want. I mean, really, I was excited to go there. I thought I was, like, a piece that could really help them. Obviously, going into the playoffs, and then once they lost, obviously I tweeted little smiley face. Like, I was I was hating. I was hating. I was hating.”
Williams finished out the year with Charlotte, playing 21 games and averaging 14.9 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, the Lakers were one-and-done in the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Williams responded to the Lakers’ defeat.
Williams may have not ended up in L.A., but he’s excelling now in Phoenix, which is doing quite well at 19-13. Williams has started 23 of his 27 games played, averaging 13.1 points on 66.5 percent shooting and 8.2 rebounds per contest.