Mark Williams debriefs his first NBA action in nearly a calendar year

Matt Alquiza | 12 Hours Ago

Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

After nearly a year on the sideline nursing various injuries, Mark Williams made his hotly anticipated 2024-25 Charlotte Hornets debut on Tuesday night. Hornets' head coach Charles Lee announced pregame that Williams would be on a "serious minutes restriction," which came to fruition as the versatile center only played nine first half minutes in Charlotte's loss to the Sixers.

Williams quickly shook off the rust in his first taste of NBA action, scoring four points and hauling in three rebounds in the opening two quarters. It will take some time for Williams to become fully comfortable with the speed and physicality of the NBA game after his hiatus, but his early returns were encouraging. Williams flashed shades of the two-way center that Charlotte has missed for nearly an entire trip around the sun.

Williams came to the podium post game to talk about his return to play, here's what the big man had to say: "It felt good to put a jersey on. It's obviously been awhile. It's been a long time coming now."

The former Duke Blue Devil assessed his performance as well. "It's been 360 days since I put a jersey on...Definitely some rhythm stuff I have to get back in the flow of. You can't replicate the game as much as you try in practice, you're gonna try your best, but it's not the same...It definitely felt good to be out there."

Williams closed it out by talking about the emotions of stepping on the floor for the first time in nearly a year. "It was a whirlwind of emotions. I think I was just trying my best to focus on the task at hand."

He was adamant in shouting out his teammates for helping him along in the rehabilitation process.

Charlotte's next action will come after a much needed three-day break when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Spectrum Center on Saturday afternoon.

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