… Linden shooting guard merits national selection

CHRIS Williams, the average built shooting guard, standing roughly at 6’1”, has never represented Guyana at any level though his stats would show that he’s actually way better than some who have gone on to stardom on the local scene. 

The 24-year-old hails from Victory Valley, Linden, an area many from the mining town regard as the Ghetto, so Williams’ life is not entirely devoted to basketball and, being a father and having certain responsibilities, work takes precedence over his addiction for the game he loves.
But with Guyana set to participate at this year’s Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships in Tortola, president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Nigel Hinds said that only the best players will represent the Land of Many Waters at the prestigious event.
The former Christianburg/Wismar Secondary (Multi) student came out in the same era as Travis Burnett, Orin Rose and Akeem Kanhai but the difference between him and them is that they have all gone on to have illustrious Junior National careers, even winning gold at the Inter-Guiana Games (IGG). But everyone always asks: What happen Chris Williams?.
So good is the Victory Valley Royals player that his alias in the sport is “Turkoglu” since many of his friends and teammates believes that the shooting guard not only carries a striking resemblance of the NBA and Turkish star Hedro Turkoglu, but their style of play is almost identical.
Linden ‘Sancho’ Alphonso, the Victory Valley Royals basketball club founder member has long been making his proclamation that if Williams was to take the game seriously; he would certainly be, if not one of, ‘the’ best player in the country at his position.
“Well-rounded player that can play both 1 and 2 positions but I think he is best suited at 2 where his ball-handling ability will give him an advantage.
“Throw in his penetration and passing along with his ability to play both ends of the floor, he is one of the most rounded players we have. The one thing I admire most about him is that he lets his game speak for him and plays fearlessly with high intensity as well.”
The standard of basketball is not very high in Guyana so he will definitely have to take his game to another level if he is selected to the national team, but he is as good as, and probably better than any other at his position in Guyana. I think he is a very good candidate,” said Alphonso.
Alphonso knows more than a thing or two about the game. In fact he was the coach of the female team that won gold at the CBC Championships (the CARICOM Championships) in 1996. To date, it’s Guyana’s lone Championship at the games since the men finished second (1994) and third (1981 & 2000).
Playing in the shadows of Kanhai, who pundits believe is one of the best players in Guyana, is something Williams has been doing for a number of years.
If a survey was to be done in Linden, some persons would argue that Williams is a far superior player than Kanhai and in Georgetown, some players might say it’s the other way around.
Kanhai’s style of play always seems to allow him to grab the spotlight and the media’s attention – he’s athletic and has developed showmanship in his game while Williams is a text book player with a sniper-like aim to his shot.
Even in his younger days, he was drawn into debates with players like the late Kevin Lawrence and Stephan Gillis – two players who can shoot lights out on any given night.
Linden drew first blood in the GABF Inter-Association Championship against Georgetown and Williams’ all-round play, especially his shooting and smothering defence, piloted his team to victory.
On the social media site, Facebook, persons question his ability to play well on wood, already forgetting his countless breathtaking performances at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Williams will be on show once again when Linden invade Georgetown in what could possible decide the winners of the Inter-Association Championship and pundits would be eager to see if he can replicate his performance at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court.

(By Rawle Toney)