The Complete Interview

Asa Schuster of NBL.com caught up with my teammate Corey "Homicide" Williams for a Q&A. Since some of the questions include my name, I decided I should add in my two cents to the interview. (My answers are in red.)

Street ball legend and Townsville Crocodile Corey 'Homicide' Williams had some time to kill and shared his thoughts about hypothetical movies, John Rillie and shoes.

Q: I was listening to you and John Rillie on his podcast show, you two are like the 2008 version of 'White Men Can't Jump' the way you guys carry on.

Corey Williams: Haha oh yeah Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson that's us, we're like Michael Jackson, ebony and ivory right there haha. (Corey, the white guy's name is Paul McCartney and he performed this 1982 classic with Steve Wonder. I'm not sure where Wacko Jacko comes into the ebony and ivory conversation.)

Q: I think they should make a White Men Can't Jump sequel about you and Rillie. Would you ever take Rillie with you to Venice Beach and enter a two-on-two tournament?

CW: Oh yeah for sure, he's my team-mate and plus he can shoot from the outside, but the thing is I don't know if he can shoot outdoors? You know sometimes you have to adjust for the wind and stuff like that, some players are just straight gym shooters, they can't do it outdoors. But for me it's not a problem I get it done on the street. (I'd have no problem knocking them down from outside on the black top. Corey, are you saying you can shot from the outside, outside? Tell him he's dreamin.)

Q: Have you ever played at Venice?

CW: No I've never played in Venice, I don't know if LA really has the same kind of street ball as New York though. (I have played at Venice and did give it my best Woody Harrelson impersonation. In LA the courts are regulation and the hoops are 10 foot high. I found the same when visiting NY. The only difference I noticed between the two cities was the trash talk was with a different accent.)

Q: When you first got to Townsville when did you realise Rillie was a baller, because he's kind of unassuming in that way?

CW: Yeah, he doesn't look in any shape or form like a baller. I remember the first game I played for Townsville and I thought he was just a really good shooter but I soon realised he's the real deal. The other thing about JR is for what he does at his age is amazing, his dedication, I would be glad if I can do what he does when I'm his age. He's a character and between him, Russell Hinder and Kelvin Robertson those are the funniest guys on the team. (Corey still doesn't think I'm a baller, although he has no answer for the step-back. I can only imagine what "Homicide" will be doing when he is 37.)

Q: What's the best nickname you've got for one of your team-mates?

CW: 'The Pharmacist' Kelvin Robertson, he's a professional basketball player and a pharmacist that's unbelievable, I've never heard of anything like that before. You could have the backcourt of' 'The Pharmacist' and 'The Doctor' if he played with Darren Ng from last season, you know because he's a doctor. (Corey has no nicknames for his teammates. He is too busy discovering new ones for himself.)

Q: You've played all around the world in Europe, America and Australia, but when you're playing at Rucker Park is that the purest form of basketball you've played?

CW: When you play professional ball some players aren't always able to fit into a program or play to their fullest using all their skills. Playing pro ball can sometimes limit the things you can do, but on the street you can express yourself. Street ball is like an abstract art form, on the street I am myself, I can do whatever I want, when I want. When I'm playing on the street that's me, it is basketball at its purest form.

Q: Is Australia the nicest place to play basketball?

CW: Oh yeah. I love Townsville, I love Australia it's a wonderful place to play I would like to finish my career here if possible. (I will translate, "I love Townsville". People around here really hook me up. Whether it is food, drinks or movie tickets to the Bond premiere, people love to give me free stuff.)

Q: How does it feel to have your own shoe?

CW: It's a dream come true for me. To come as far as I come and for all the hard work I've put in all my life it's amazing, especially for someone that hasn't played in the NBA. I'm the first guy not in the NBA to have his own shoe. I still go into shoe stores and see my own shoes and think it's unbelievable. For a brand like K1X to be able to do that is great, no other company would do that and we're making history, kind of revolutionising the shoe game in that way. (And let me tell you, Corey will drag us into the store to show us his shoes. There are always plenty in stock.)

Q: I think Andrew Gaze and Dwayne McClain are the only other NBL players to have their own shoe, how does it feel to be in the company of two greats?

CW: Well I can't compare to those guys, I've only been in the league for a year-and-a-half and they're two of the greatest to play in this league. You can't compare a guy like me to them who's just arrived in the league. I would like to accomplish similar feats to Andrew Gaze and Dwayne McClain and then maybe I could be considered as being in their company but I do appreciate it. (That's not what he tells us at practice. He is trying to be politically correct here.)

Q: The Fresh Prince has his own imaginary pair of shoes, the 'Air Fresh' and he whooped Isiah Thomas in the commercial, who has the better shoes you or him?

CW: Me. That was make believe. My shoe is real and plus Will Smith never really played basketball. (Why the hating on Will Smith. Corey, you get around the weightroom thing your the next Jay-Z.)

Q: I've seen Dan Jackson and Tyson Demos wearing your shoes is it important to have young players of the next generation wearing your shoes?

CW: Oh yeah I think it's great it's good to have those younger guys out there, yeah we have those Blaze colours on one of them. (Why are you hooking up opposition players and not your own teammates with this fantastic shoe? In saying that, I would play in my trusty double pluggas before those things.)

Q: Do you show any leniency to an opponent wearing your shoes or do you still have to kill them 187 style?

CW: You going up against me and you're wearing my shoes? Come on you know I'm gonna bust you, you can't do anything but respect that.

Q: There's inevitably going to be a movie about your life or at least that White Men Can't Jump sequel I was talking about, who is going to play you when that happens?

CW: That's good question, I don't know, I got to think about that… Who's a good young black actor? (I'm thinking Brad Pitt for my role!)

Q: What about Omar Epps? (I'd say Mike Bivins. He is from that once great group Bell Biv Devoe, BBD (see below). Second thoughts, Bivins' "J" is too nice.

CW: That's funny a few people say I look like Omar Epps (A few people....what,who Mrs Williams and that favourite Aunt you see once a year.), I think somebody younger though. You know what, I would want an unknown actor, a hungry up-and-coming actor who could understand the journey I've taken and what it means to come from where I've come from, someone that could really understand my story.

For your pleasure - BBD