For Jayson Williams, Time and Money Is a Recipe For Disaster

Former NBA player Jayson Williams is back in the limelight.

Unfortunately for Williams, it is due to another notch on his belt of legal woes.

Early Tuesday morning, Williams drove his SUV into a tree off of a Manhattan road, and was later charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI).

Since the notorious incident at his New Jersey home in February of 2002, Williams has had three run ins with the law, all of which have occurred since April of 2009.

He was tasered by NYPD officers in his hotel room in April of 2009, because of violent and suicidal behavior, along with the fact he was intoxicated, with numerous empty prescription pill bottles in the room.

In May of 2009, Williams was arrested outside of a Raleigh, N.C. bar after getting into a fight. He was charged with simple assault, yet the man whom he hit later dropped charges because witnesses claimed Williams was breaking up the fight and not the aggressor.

This brings us to his latest legal troubles.

In no way are Williams' actions excusable. He has made some extremely poor decisions since an injury forced him to retire from basketball in 1999.

The stories about Williams seem to make him out to be a loose cannon. However, it seems that he is more of a lost soul. It seems like the New York City hotel incident was a cry for help.

A cry for help that has gone unanswered.

This does not take fault away from Williams for his behavior in any way. He has been reckless with his life since his retirement, and he needs to become more stable to advance successfully.

But, it seems like many athletes have fallen into legal trouble when they have idle time. Idle time being, time away from the sports they play, keeping themselves occupied while staying out of the limelight.

Idle time and a deep bank account is a recipe for disaster.

It is not just Williams, although he continues to make this theory work. How many professional athletes have we heard of in the past 20 years, make choices which jeopardize everything that they have earned? Is it lack of intelligence? It is lack of guidance? Or is it a feeling that because of who they are, they cannot be touched?

Each case is different, and there is truly no one answer for anyone's personal issues.

But it is time that athletes who experience these type of legal problems get the message: enough is enough. What will it take for some of these athletes to finally get that message?

Williams has made Bluffton/Hilton Head Island, S.C. his part-time residence since the end of his career, while also living in New York and New Jersey. He is a well respected member at a private golf club off "the Island" (as most locals call it), and has spent most of his down time playing golf there.

Williams has often gone, unannounced, to the Hilton Head Island Recreation Center to play pickup basketball with the local high school kids.

He is known to share advice with many of the local kids looking to venture into the world of professional sports themselves.

One piece of advice that has been passed is that you "get one and you're done."

Meaning you have one life, one shot to make of it what you will, and you have to do what you can to make the most of it.

While he may not be the best role model, one can certainly learn from his mistakes.