Jason Williams speaks on what it took to pull off the elbow pass: “I tried it 30,000 times and been successful three”

jason-williams

Over 24 years have passed since Jason Williams broke out the iconic elbow pass at the Rookie-Sophomore Game at All-Star Weekend on February 13, 2000. However, to this day, that pass still captures the attention and admiration of basketball fans around the world.

Speaking on the OGs podcast with Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, Williams revealed that this jaw-dropping move required more than natural talent. It required extreme dedication and hard work.

Tried it more than 30,000 times

“White Chocolate” said he practiced that pass more times than he could remember. He began learning the move in high school at Dupont in Belle, West Virginia, but didn’t try it in the NBA until the Rookie-Sophomore Game.

“In my life, I’ve tried it at least 30,000 times,” JWill said. “Just in my time and been successful, probably three. You know what I’m saying? Seriously, like 30,000 is a lot of practices, you know what I’m saying?”

JWill also revealed that he discovered the move by accident. Initially, he was trying to learn how to do the behind-the-back ball fake, which is now known as the “Rondo.” However, he lost the ball and hit his elbow, propelling it in the other direction.

“It’s not easy to do. It was kind of a mistake when I learned it. I was just trying to do what they called the Rondo. I was doing the Rondo back in at Dupont High, you know what I’m saying?” Williams added.

“But anyway, yeah, I was doing Rondo one day and practicing, and I kind of lost the ball, and it kind of like hit this arm and went backward, didn’t go back that way, so that’s how it came about.”

Dedication to the craft

Williams’ story shows that there is a story behind every highlight fans see in person or on TV. It takes countless hours of dedication and practice to perfect a move or skill on the court. Miller likened Williams’ flashy skills to Kyrie Irving’s skill set.

“Think about that, 30,000 times, you do it three times in a game,” Miller shared.

JWill played with a lot of flair and, at times, reckless abandon, especially during his early years in Sacramento. However, he always put in a lot of work behind the scenes to make those flashy plays look effortless on the court.