For Malik Williams, it was the confidence and belief in his potential to play basketball at the highest level from his AAU coach—Juan Gorman—that prompted him to embark on a journey of his own in the sport. This was just the beginning. From fifth grade all the way up to his senior year of high school, Malik remembers playing alongside the same core group of guys and immersing himself in the game completely. He was all in. From strengthening his work ethic to enhancing his skills on the court to deepening his basketball IQ, Malik began to establish those important habits to success from an early age. After his time in high school, he embarked on his collegiate career at the University of Louisville—playing there for four years before declaring for the NBA Draft. This was it. This was the opportunity he had been working towards from a young age. But, the universe had other plans. Despite going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, Malik remained committed to his goal of playing in the NBA one day. For him, this was a minor setback for a major comeback. From there, Malik signed his first professional contract overseas and headed to Poland. He was on a mission. After an amazing rookie season—where he increased his versatility on both ends of the floor and even helped his team take home the FIBA Euro Cup—, Malik returned to the States to work towards securing a spot in the league. It wasn't all smooth sailing though. From being a tryout player and getting cut from the Sioux Falls Skyforce to then receiving a call-back and earning a starting spot with the team to ending the season with two 10-day contracts with the Toronto Raptors and even starting during his first NBA game, Malik embraced the adversity he faced along the way and made the most out of every opportunity. He hasn't slowed down one bit since. Along with continuing to work towards his goal of signing with an NBA team, Malik is also eager to grow his ventures beyond the game further in the world of education, mentorship, and philanthropy. Truly inspiring!
Take us all the way back to your time in college! How do you think your game elevated throughout your collegiate career to prepare you for that next level?
I think it just allowed me to see a bunch of different facets of the game and go against some really great coaches, athletes, and people who went on to be high draft picks and have really successful NBA careers early on. So just watching those around me and understanding the dynamic of going in and getting one of the biggest wins in the Roy Williams era at North Carolina, (for instance), were a lot of motivating factors for me.
You started your pro career in Poland. What was that experience like of playing overseas as you entered the professional level?
Poland was a good time for me. It was a real learning curve just understanding the difference of the game, the slight style difference, and just the cultural switch. You know, it was a lot to overcome. A big thing for me in making that successful was that the first two weeks I was there, it was kind of just me going to work, going back to my apartment, and just being by myself. Then, we had another transfer come in maybe like three weeks after me being there. Once he came in, he kind of gave me a social life. He was someone who I could kick it with. He is someone who I still call a real brother and friend to this day, and that was just important for me—getting that social life outside of basketball and it not being all work. Up to that point, it was hard. You know, a lot of days of me ready to come home. But, having somebody to connect with while I was over there, it really helped me out a lot. It ended up working out well—me and him gelled together. I feel like we really helped the team, the morale of the team, and the playing (style). We both were versatile on both ends of the floor, and we ended up winning the FIBA Euro Cup. It was great.
You became a champion your first season overseas in Poland. What was that experience like for you?