蜜柚直播

Corey Williams, who played for the Wildcats from 1992-96, produced a video letter to Olson on his social media accounts, thanking his basketball coach and life mentor.

The letter read: 鈥淒ear coach, it was just yesterday you offered me a scholarship to come play for you. At the time, I had no idea it was a lifetime offer. We followed your lead, we traveled the world, we learned how to win. There are hundreds of us, my brothers 鈥� some here, some gone. You taught us how to play by showing us how to live. Everyday, we speak your words, we teach your lessons, we share your soul. It seems unreal that your time with us is up. I love you, coach. You are our coach forever. Lute forever.鈥�

After his UA career, Williams, from Batavia, Illinois, played 12 years professionally overseas before returning to his second home of 蜜柚直播, where he joined the Olson basketball broadcasting tree, first at Fox Sports 蜜柚直播, then at the Pac-12 Networks and currently at ESPN.

Since permanently moving to 蜜柚直播, Williams has been a public figure in the Old Pueblo as the vice president of Crest Insurance Group and founder of the 蜜柚直播 Summer Pro League, a local summer pro am. In the TSPL鈥檚 infant stage, players like Steve Kerr, Richard Jefferson, Luke Walton, Jason Terry, Mike Bibby, Andre Iguodala, Joseph Blair and Hassan Adams could be spotted playing in games. Players who were currently at the UA would make their way to the TSPL and, of course, 蜜柚直播鈥檚 basketball god with the silvery-white hair would have a front-row seat.

Whether it was playing basketball, or the professional world off the court, Olson was a constant mentor and friend to anyone who played or coached under him.

Williams joined the Star on 鈥淭he Wildcast鈥� podcast over the weekend, and here鈥檚 what he had to say about his favorite memories of Olson and how much he impacted his life. The full interview can be heard on The Wildcaster App or any podcast streaming platform.

What鈥檚 going through your mind after letting the passing of Coach Olson settle in?

A: 鈥淚 was just talking with Damon Stoudamire and he kind of hit the nail on the head, because I couldn鈥檛 figure out what I was feeling. It was a lot of sadness 鈥� you鈥檙e just sad and lost, but then there was this other feeling within you of appreciation and gratitude and joy. I couldn鈥檛 put my finger on it, but Damon said it鈥檚 tears of joy.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e so thankful that you had the experience that you had. You鈥檙e thankful to be around and be influenced by someone like Coach Olson.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e thankful that at a time in life, when you were a young man and you were in your formative years, you had that type of influence in your life 鈥� the most crucial time in young man鈥檚 life, and you were blessed to be around someone like him. When you lose someone you鈥檝e always had around your entire adult life, it鈥檚 not nearly the same as losing a parent, but it鈥檚 in the same ballpark, because he鈥檚 been a constant factor for all of us since the 1980鈥檚.

鈥淵our interaction with him was as a recruit, then you became a player, then it was an (alumnus), then it was a friend, then it was a mentor. Your relationship with coach changed over your life. 鈥� He鈥檚 just been all over your life and he鈥檚 had a fingerprint on almost everything you鈥檝e done.鈥�

What was the first memory you have of Olson from when he recruited you?

A: 鈥淚 remember getting letters from 蜜柚直播 and Lute Olson, and I went, 鈥榃ait a minute, that鈥檚 the guy that used to coach at Iowa. I was in Illinois and always watched the Big Ten and would see him walking up and down the sidelines at Iowa. I always felt like that guy 鈥� he didn鈥檛 come off as conceited, but his look was so together with his suits and hair and the way he carried himself. I was like, 鈥楾hat dude is on some NBA stuff at the coaching level.鈥�

鈥淵ou could tell he had swag, and the way he coached his team, that, to me, signaled 鈥� when you want to get under somebody and follow them, you look for qualities and traits like that. My first impression of Coach Olson was, 鈥楾his is a together dude.鈥�

鈥淗e didn鈥檛 come off as a used car salesman or a slickster, he came off as, 鈥業 am headed here and this is where I鈥檓 going.鈥� You can sense it, it oozed off him. 鈥� That鈥檚 literally the vibe from the time to step foot on campus to the time you graduated. It wasn鈥檛 鈥淢y way or the highway,鈥� but his way was the way. It wasn鈥檛 something that you didn鈥檛 want to do. 鈥� Why wouldn鈥檛 you go play for a guy that looks like basketball is an afterthought?

鈥淗e鈥檚 already winning at life, and this dude has it together, and I鈥檓 gonna go play basketball for him. He just oozed success, and I just know that鈥檚 how a lot of people feel when they talk about Coach Olson.鈥�

Why do you think Olson was able to sustain winning and attract quality players to 蜜柚直播?

A: 鈥淓very college coach needs a flagship player to plant their flag and start their legacy, it鈥檚 unavoidable. You gotta have one guy that puts you on the map, and in Coach Olson鈥檚 case, he had three or four when you talk about Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr and those guys. Guys that came in and established something.

鈥淪o when I鈥檓 showing up on campus in 1991, Sean Elliott was already one of the best players in the NBA, and he just went through running these sprints, he had just taken showers over there in that locker room. What he had us do, the results were so visible.

鈥淪o visible, that the results would come back to 蜜柚直播 every summer and play pickup with us, and we鈥檙e looking at these ripped, shredded gods, who score baskets like we breathe, and they say, 鈥榊ou know what? You keep doing what coach tells you to do, you鈥檙e going to be right here with us.鈥� 鈥� When you come to 蜜柚直播, you have a mindset that you鈥檙e going through everything Richard (Jefferson) went through, what Channing (Frye) went through, everything Gilbert Arenas went through, and it鈥檚 not even up for debate, because that鈥檚 what you signed up for. That was a key to his success.鈥�

What鈥檚 your favorite memory of Olson?

A: 鈥淢y favorite memory happened off the court. It was probably at one of the weirdest times of my life, because in my senior year, we had just lost the last game of the season to Kansas (in the Sweet 16), and I had just taken off my 蜜柚直播 jersey for the last time.

鈥淚 was depressed and we were all depressed, because our season was over and we were never going to play at McKale Center and in an 蜜柚直播 jersey ever again. I remember we were flying back to 蜜柚直播 and I was at baggage claim, and I had got a bit of good news: I had just found out I was selected to be in the Nike top-40 (players list) for the NBA draft.

鈥淭o me, I was so depressed that we had lost, but there was a small validation in me for how my basketball career was. I was Mr. Basketball candidate, got to 蜜柚直播 and then the bottom just dropped from under my career, and I spent the first year-and-a-half on the bench. 鈥� For me, it was weird day, because I just heard that I was in the top 40 and dreams of playing in the NBA were still alive 鈥� more alive than ever before based on the four games I played in the (NCAA Tournament). Coach O came up to me at baggage claim and said, 鈥楽o I hear you鈥檙e going to the 鈥楧esert Classic.鈥� I鈥檓 thinking, 鈥業t鈥檚 the Phoenix Suns, it鈥檚 right up the street, you鈥檙e tight with (Dick) Van Arsdale,鈥� and I鈥檓 about to thank him like, 鈥業 know you probably put in a call and a good word,鈥� because all four seniors were going.

鈥淏efore I could say anything else, he said, 鈥業 want you to know that I had just found out about that myself. I had nothing to do with that.鈥� He made it a point to let me know that I had achieved that on my own and that he was proud of me. It was really the best moment I had with him, because up until that point, it was, 鈥楧o this, or you don鈥檛 play. Play this way, or you鈥檙e going to sit on the bench. Make yourself in the way I need you to be useful, and then I鈥檒l decide if you can go out there on the court in an 蜜柚直播 jersey.鈥�

鈥淲hen you earned his respect and earned his confidence, he wasn鈥檛 a vocal guy. He wasn鈥檛 an 鈥淎tta鈥� boy!鈥� type of coach. I remember one game at Oregon, I hit three 3-pointers in a row and I came to the bench, walked right by him and he didn鈥檛 say anything. 鈥榃hat, are we going to celebrate greatness? That鈥檚 what we do here. I recruited you to dominate Oregon. I鈥檓 not going to high-five you for dominating Oregon.鈥� That was Coach O.

鈥淗e would speak well of his players to the media, but that cheerleading praise and hype, he didn鈥檛 do that. So to have this guy, who was a basketball icon, make his way over to baggage claim to tell me that I had achieved something on my own merit that he had nothing to do with鈥� That was probably the most we talked in my time at 蜜柚直播, but the fact that it came from coach, that was a moment that I鈥檒l always remember, because we all wanted coach鈥檚 approval.鈥�

If you say anything Olson right now, what would you tell him?

A: 鈥淚t would be an inside joke between me and him, but I would be like, 鈥楾hank you for saying no,鈥� because he knew exactly what I needed to hear and he knew exactly how I needed to be treated to get the best out of me.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 aware of that and it was a very painful process. I would tell Coach O, 鈥楾hank you for telling me no when I complained, when I whined, when I acted like I wanted preferential treatment.鈥�

鈥淲hen I was trying to rationalize and try to make excuses, he鈥檇 reject them. He held his line with me, he didn鈥檛 fold, he didn鈥檛 crease, and I had to get on his level, and I thank him for that, because whether he knew it or not, he knew I was smart enough to do the things he was asking me to do. 鈥楢re you putting forth the effort? Are you concentrating?

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the only reason you鈥檙e not doing the exact same thing this other player is doing, because you鈥檙e both talented 鈥� hell, I recruited both of you so I know exactly what both of you are capable of. So unless you come to practice locked in mentally, you鈥檙e wasting your time, you might as well go home.鈥�

鈥淓very kid has that rebellion in them where they don鈥檛 like harsh realities, and they want to complain or strike a deal and want things, he was like, 鈥楴ah.鈥� I鈥檓 so grateful that Coach O was tougher on me than life was going to be. That鈥檚 the best way I can put it. He was tougher on me than the real world was about to me.

鈥淪o when I started playing ball after college and started traveling, things didn鈥檛 come easy, but I was prepared for them. I hit the ground more prepared than I ever been in my life 鈥� mentally. That鈥檚 the struggle. It鈥檚 not your physical, it鈥檚 your mental. If I could talk to coach, I鈥檇 tell him thank you for being coach and not compromising anything with any of us, because it wouldn鈥檛 have helped us.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today had he taken it easy on me.鈥�