Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss was one of Williams' high school basketball teammates.

[11] 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.

Nike decided to change a planned advertising campaign featuring Williams as a result of his alleged actions as well.

Additionally, general manager Geoff Petrie was concerned that Williams had not developed into a more complete point guard.

With this in mind, the Kings traded Williams and Nick Anderson to the Vancouver Grizzlies for Mike Bibby and Brent Price.

[19] The following season, in 2002, Grizzlies' general manager Jerry West hired Hubie Brown out of retirement to coach the team.

After Memphis was swept by the Phoenix Suns in the 2005 NBA Playoffs, Williams was reportedly involved in an altercation with Geoff Calkins, a columnist for the Commercial Appeal.

"[20] Calkins was critical of the Grizzlies' lackadaisical play and had alleged that Williams did not care about winning basketball games.

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.

He would serve as 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 would win the NBA Championship over the Dallas Mavericks, giving Williams his first and only title.

[27] The move reunited Williams with Stan Van Gundy, his former coach in Miami, who pushed the team to make the signing.

[31] 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.

[34] Williams signed a two-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies on February 7, 2011,[35] returning to the team where he was their all-time assists leader (since surpassed by Mike Conley).

[38] On February 1, 2017, it was announced that Willams would be playing in the 3-on-3 basketball league BIG3, on the 3 Headed Monsters with former teammate Rashard Lewis.

In his later years with Memphis and Miami, he significantly tamed his extravagant playing style and consistently achieved one of the highest assists per turnover ratios in the NBA.

[41] In the Rookie Challenge of the NBA All-Star Weekend in 2000, in a counter-attack, Williams made a no-look, behind-the-back pass off the elbow on a full sprint to Raef LaFrentz.

The nickname was started in Williams' rookie year by Stephanie Shepherd, a media relations assistant with the Sacramento Kings.

"[12][43] Despite his NBA success, Williams preferred to stay out of the public eye and live a private life, spending time with his family.

[45] Williams is a close friend of former Miami Heat teammate and center Shaquille O'Neal, having been neighbors in Orlando for three years.