Former UNC player will raise money for his basketball camp with celebrity fundraiser

Basketball has taken Donald Williams to courts across the world, but many of the Garner native’s fondest basketball memories are nestled right here in the Triangle.

After breaking North Carolina state records at Garner High School, Williams took his talent to Chapel Hill. He helped lead the North Carolina men’s basketball team to the NCAA National Championship in 1993; his individual performance earned him Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament.

And after playing professionally in France, Germany, Cyprus and elsewhere, Williams is donating his talent to the next group of young players developing in the Triangle.

Tonight at City Kitchen, Williams is hosting his second Carolina Blue and White Celebrity Mixer as his week-long basketball camp comes to a close.

The event, which will feature a silent auction and guest appearances from Tar Heel greats including Rasheed Wallace, Phil Ford and Jerry Stackhouse, benefits the Donald Williams Basketball Academy, which aims to help local children, many of whom may not have the opportunity to otherwise develop athletically and socially through basketball.

For Williams, who has coached for Garner High School and for his own Amateur Athletic Union basketball team in addition to running his camp, the return to his basketball roots is the logical continuation of an illustrious career. Now that his playing days are behind him, Williams finds reward in aiding the next generation’s development into successful adults.

“A lot of the kids won’t play college basketball, but I want to stress the importance of the relationships they build in and around the community,” Williams said.

“And hopefully, one day they’ll be successful in basketball or elsewhere, and they’ll also choose to give back to their community.”

Starting the summer after his freshman year at UNC, Williams has donated his time to Carolina basketball camps or his own every year.

For Marla Benton, a volunteer for DWBA who has also worked with Williams through the Boys & Girls Club, the importance of Williams’ camp transcends mere sport.

“My main goal is helping underprivileged children so that they have equal opportunities — a place to go, a positive role model and a great program,” Benton said.

“That’s exactly what Donald has built and continues to support.”

Donovan Brown, a 14-year-old from Virginia Beach, Va., lives in Raleigh for much of the year in order to play for Williams and the Rising Heels.

“I’m just really excited to have more players come out here to pick my brain and to tell me more about basketball,” Brown said. “I want to get better in high school, improve my game and get more athletic and intelligent, both playing basketball and in school.”

The education of young players is a lesson Williams learned during his time playing college basketball at UNC. One of the late Coach Dean Smith’s players, Williams carries on his coach’s legacy with every kid that passes through his program.

“When I left home as a teenager, Coach Dean Smith became a father; he taught me how to be a young man. He taught me how to act in society and contribute back to the community,” Williams said.

“And he taught me and all of my teammates to be teachers — life teachers, through basketball, for the kids.”

arts@dailytarheel.com