Hello ladies. This morning’s eye candy is former NBA point guard turned sports analyst, philanthropist and entrepreneur Jay Williams. We’re loving everything about him from his sexy bald head and puppy dog eyes to his resilient spirit and kind heart.
Jay explains that his old soul “comes from almost passing away at 21 years old,” referring to a motorcycle accident that almost killed him in 2003.
After recovering from his accident, Jay — who graduated from Duke University in three years — chose to explore some of his many other talents and interests.
“I’m very, very laid back,” Jay, who was born and raised in New Jersey says. “A lot of people think I’m from California.”
Jay admits he never thought he’d be working in television when he was in the NBA. “It didn’t really occur to me until after I got hurt,” he says.
As a sports analyst people “really get to know and understand my personality,” he explains.
Now that he’s a basketball analyst for ESPN, Williams says he hopes to host his own show some day and maybe even get into politics.
“Why not?” He asks. “To be a mayor or to be involved in business intrigues me.”
“I was so caught up in the lifestyle,” Williams admits of being in the NBA, “I’m more appreciative of my family and my true friends after going through that.”
Understanding the power of positive role models, Williams became CEO of the Rising Stars Youth Foundation, which “uses sports as a vehicle to help prepare kids for life,” he says.
“I was a kid that never truly believed in himself,” Jay says of why he got involved with Rising Stars.
That bright smile and those dimples could melt a snowman in the dead of winter. It’s a good thing it’s summer and we’re already hot for Jay.
“I love to dress up and be at a Black tie event,” Jay says of looking sharp. “The way you represent yourself in public is important to me.”
Living and working in New York City can make any sane man crazy. Jay gets back to basics by cutting off communication. “I don’t turn my phone on during the weekend,” he says.
Jay says it’s a challenge “to find somebody who actually is confident, but has a soft side as well.”
Williams thinks he may have found the right combination in his new sweetheart.
“She’s very focused on her career and very ambitious, which I admire,” he tells us. “But at the same time, we understand that work is what we do, not who we are.”
With interests in sports, politics and pop culture, Jay appreciates a woman who can adapt to any situation.
“The women who attract me the most are women who understand the environments that they’re in and can adjust,” he explains.
“The thing that always catches my eye are legs,” Williams reveals. We can’t say that his abs didn’t catch our eyes.
Jay’s been bitten by the traveling bug. “I want to go somewhere off the coast of China next,” he says.
Hey Jay, need a travel buddy?
Jay recently joined forces with Common to speak to a group of kids. Keep up with all of his goings on at twitter.com/realjaywilliams.
