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December 9-9, 2020
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Jay Williams

Analyst & Radio Host, ESPN

Jay Williams is a story of reinvention. He is a philanthropist, business entrepreneur and former No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft for the Chicago Bulls. After graduating from Duke University in just 3 years and being a unanimous selection for NCAA National Player of the Year, Williams began what he thought was his destiny. But in 2003, only one year into his budding NBA career, Jay ran his high-performance motorcycle head-on into a light pole. He severely damaged himself both physically and mentally, inevitably ending his basketball career before it really got started. After enduring over ten surgeries, depression and two failed attempts at suicide, Jay was able to find a deeper meaning and purpose in life. 

Jay now co-hosts ESPN Radio’s weekday morning show, Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin, which airs from 6-10am ET and is also simulcast on ESPN2 and ESPNEWS. Williams also serves as a host on ESPN’s longstanding NBA pregame show NBA Countdown and regularly contributes across the network’s studio programming including Get UpFirst Take and The Jump. Additionally, Jay serves as a host for Thirty Five Ventures’ sports business network The Boardroom, chief entertainment and lifestyle advisor for digital creative agency Barbarian, and also recently partnered with EPIC Insurance to provide financial guidance and protection to elite athletes and entertainers.

Jay has also written a New York Times Bestseller released in 2016 called “Life Is Not An Accident” and does motivational speaking all around the country. His journey of recognizing that we all have a choice of how we interpret our life events is extremely inspiring.