Shortly after they enter the Lakers’ practice facility and admire the NBA championship banners, the various draft prospects have experience another rite-of-passage about the storied franchise.
They are asked eventually about what they would think about playing with Kobe Bryant. Then, the players gush about him. They admire Bryant’s five NBA championships. Some call him their childhood idol. Most tout about the honor it would become to play alongside the NBA’s third-leading scorer of all-time.
But UC Santa Barbara senior forward Alan Williams looked up to someone else, none other than Bryant’s former adversary in Shaqille O’Neal.
“I was never going to be Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, so I had to emulate my game and try to dominate the way Shaq did,” Williams said on Tuesday after working out with the Lakers at their practice facility in El Segundo. “Although I’m not as tall, I think I have that same kind of desire to hit somebody and be the most physical guy out there.”
Williams learned those lessons at an early age, recalling how at age nine his father pointed out how O’Neal punished defenders by catching the ball in the post and then backing them up. It remains to be seen whether the 6-foot-7 1/4, 261-pound Williams will get drafted. But he received an early test on whether he can chase his childhood idol by matching up against an opponent that once gave him fits in practice.
Lakers assistant coach Mark Madsen, who earned the nickname ‘Mad Dog’ shortly after the Lakers selected him 29th overall in 2000 and became a fan favorite because of his enthusiastic hustle and dances at championship parades.
“He gave me some great pointers,” Williams said of Madsen. “I know he’s played against greats all his career. It was definitely an honor to play with somebody with his tenure.”
Williams called the workout “extremely competitive” as he played Madsen both in three-on-three and one-on-one drills.
“If you ask him, I think he said I did a pretty good job,” Williams said. “That’s an NBA big man. He’s got that grown man strength I haven’t been accustomed to yet. I think he did a phenomenal job and I held my own.”
Williams also sounded confident he can hold his own in the NBA.
Beyond O’Neal, Williams said he has modeled his game after Cleveland forward Tristan Thompson for his hustle on the glass and Golden State forward Draymond Green for his defensive expertise. After Williams 10 rebounds through four seasons with the Gauchos, he also said something bold he believes he can back up with actions.
“I believe I’m the best rebounder in this draft class,” Williams said. “I have a knack for it and it’s something I love to do. It’s something I feel can really translate to the NBA game and a lot of teams need somebody that can go out there and get those rebounds.”
The Lakers would like that since they finished 21st out of 30 NBA teams in rebounding. But how does Williams see himself as the best man for the job?
“I know how to rebound. I know how to box out. I know how to track the flight of the ball,” said Williams, who also worked out with Utah, Sacramento and Dallas. “I study my shooters on my team and also the other team, I really take pride in going out there and being the most physical guy down there and coming up with those rebounds.”
All of which left Williams determined to show that against Madsen after he spent all those years doing the same thing to O’Neal.
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