Rumors

The Las Vegas Jacks ownership group has been working on putting together a bid for a Southern Nevada NBA expansion team since January 2024, according to people with knowledge of the group’s operations. The Jacks announced their plans to pursue a Las Vegas NBA expansion team this month, but years of work has preceded that announcement for the group that includes former NBA owner Jerry Colangelo, former NBA player and coach Vinny Del Negro, chairman and managing partner of Prime Capital Financial Scott Colangelo, media executive David Levy, American Century Investments CEO Jonathan Thomas and former NBA lottery pick and current ESPN analyst Jay Williams.

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The Jacks’ name isn’t a lock to be the team’s name should the group prove successful in the bid process, but they trademarked the name last year just in case it sticks, the sources said. The group is open to having the residents of Southern Nevada chime in on what they think the team’s name should be, including the Jacks.

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The quips were references to a motorcycle accident that prematurely ended Williams’ playing career. The Duke phenom enjoyed a promising rookie year, but played only one season before the accident derailed his career. Although the comments may have been meant as playful jabs at Williams, they created an awkward moment that the internet quickly seized on. “For me, it was extremely uncomfortable,” Williams tells Front Office Sports. He says there was “no real tension,” but it was “awkward.”

Front Office Sports

Williams takes pride in the second career he has built in broadcast media over the last two decades as an ESPN analyst who is a regular panelist on shows like Get Up and First Take. “It’s about what you do after something like that happens,” he says. He and Jefferson go way back, having played against each other in the 2001 NCAA national championship game. Williams chose not to get into a back-and-forth with his fellow analysts in real time, but there was no stopping social media accounts from clipping the moment and websites from running stories about it. “One of the things I hated about the moment is that, you know, a lot of times things get said and it becomes a viral moment, but I don’t like when the viral moment becomes about me when I’m there talking about these young people where the moment was about them,” he says.

Front Office Sports

The quips were references to a motorcycle accident that prematurely ended Jay Williams’ playing career. The Duke phenom enjoyed a promising rookie year, but played only one season before the accident derailed his career. Although the comments may have been meant as playful jabs at Williams, they created an awkward moment that the internet quickly seized on. “For me, it was extremely uncomfortable,” Williams tells Front Office Sports. He says there was “no real tension,” but it was “awkward.”

Front Office Sports

Williams takes pride in the second career he has built in broadcast media over the last two decades as an ESPN analyst who is a regular panelist on shows like Get Up and First Take. “It’s about what you do after something like that happens,” he says. He and Richard Jefferson go way back, having played against each other in the 2001 NCAA national championship game. Williams chose not to get into a back-and-forth with his fellow analysts in real time, but there was no stopping social media accounts from clipping the moment and websites from running stories about it. “One of the things I hated about the moment is that, you know, a lot of times things get said and it becomes a viral moment, but I don’t like when the viral moment becomes about me when I’m there talking about these young people where the moment was about them,” he says.

Front Office Sports

He’s been living with his accident for more than 20 years now, and says “people typically use it to try to diminish what I’ve been able to accomplish.” “For me, frankly, I think it speaks volumes about what I have been able to accomplish,” he tells FOS. As for how he, Jefferson, Smith, and Negandhi will move forward, Williams isn’t concerned. “We’ll talk about it, we’ll learn from it, we’ll move on. Welcome to TV.”

Front Office Sports

NBA Courtside: Jay Willams says OKC and the Spurs won the draft: “They continue to put their chokehold on the NBA. What did we talk about a lot with OKC? How did Chet Holmgren play in the NBA finals? What’s going on with Isaiah Hartenstein when he had go against Wemby? That got a guy named Aday Mara who has a 7’4 wingspan, super talented can give you depth off the bench and give you an extra body to go against Wemby. How about for San Antonio for Wembanyama we talked a lot about who’s the enforcer when Kornet played in that series, now you bring a guy that brings a lot of physicality played for Dan Hurley at UConn a absolute beast on the glass.”

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NBA Base: Jay Williams: “I've talked to a couple of different players that could be Supermax this year or next year — they're starting to feel a little pressure from team owners by saying, 'Yo, Jalen Brunson left 113 million dollars on the table. What are you going to do?'”

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K.C. Johnson: Per Bulls PR, Lachlan Olbrich is fourth rookie in franchise history to post triple-double. He joins Michael Jordan, Jay Williams and Kirk Hinrich.

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Michael Redd: Jason Kidd. Steph Marbury. Allen Iverson. Shoot, Jay Williams. Not comparing DP to any of them, but to say we haven’t had “generational” guard prospects is a hot (and short term memory) take. That said, this 2026 class is looking elite!

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“Numerous coaches, Black coaches, called me expressing how they took issue with that podcast taking place. And I think you know enough to know that that’s true. Some of them felt very salty about that,” Smith told Jay Williams. “We certainly are not blaming JJ Redick.”

Awful Announcing

Get Up: "Is [Klay Thompson's] play correlating to the money he wants? I don't think it is anymore." —@RealJayWilliams reacts to Klay Thompson unfollowing the Warriors on social media 👀 pic.twitter.com/qYWewY53Rx

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ClutchPoints: "If I were Paul George, I would be looking at that [Sixers] situation... I love Kawhi, but if you're not available, what position does that put me in if I want to win championships?" Jay Williams says PG-13 should go to Philly to play with Joel Embiid. pic.twitter.com/P26TrMGg03

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