Corey Williams, also known in New York streetball circles as “Homicide,” made his mark as a professional player overseas after fulfilling his promise to finish college before his career. Williams, who had been battling colon cancer after being diagnosed with stage 4, died of the disease, and several key figures at X are paying tribute to the hoops legend.
Corey Williams was born on August 3, 1977 and attended Rice High School in Harlem. Although he did not receive any scholarship offers out of high school, Williams was invited to play at MCC–Penn Valley Community College, a junior college in Kansas City, Mo. Williams helped the team win the NJCAA Division II men's basketball championship as a freshman and made a first-team JUCO All-American as a sophomore.
Transferring to Alabama State University, a Division I school, Williams completed his criminal justice degree in 2000, as he had promised his mother. From there, Williams went undrafted and found growing fame in New York's competitive streetball scene, where he earned the nickname Homicide.
Through sheer will, Williams rose through the ranks of several basketball leagues, including the International Basketball Association and the United States Basketball League, along with stints with the Harlem Globetrotters and playing briefly in the Dominican Republic. He also had stints in Brazil and Sweden
While Williams never made an official NBA roster, several teams added him to their summer and training camp rosters, including the Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors. He then joined the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League and helped the team win the 2006-07 D-League championship.
Much of Williams' success came during his time playing in the Australian National Basketball League and he was named the league's MVP in 2010, while also making the All-NBL First Team. After his playing days ended, Williams worked as a commentator for the NBL and then joined Fox Sports as a broadcaster in 2017.
According to reports, Williams was receiving treatment for colon cancer just two weeks before his death. He is survived by two daughters, Bella and Gabi.
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Corey “Homicide” Williams was 46 years old.
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