Mike Monroe: NBA Beat: Wrong place, time

Tweet

The news of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams' violent death flashed across Eric Williams' TV screen New Year's Day and dragged him back to a time and place that left him with scars he dare not ignore. A gnarled round knot sits on his right knee, just below the arcing scar from the surgery that repaired a torn anterior cruciate ligament in 1997. There is a second, similarly round knot of skin on his left arm. They are permanent reminders of a hard past on the mean streets of Newark, N.J. They are gunshot wounds that have been on his 34-year-old body for 22 years. "Wrong place at the wrong time," Williams said as he dressed for Friday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. "Just walking, man. Somebody shooting. Stuff happens like that. I'm just happy I'm where I'm at now." The memory brought forth a flood of emotions for the Spurs forward. Williams made it clear he wanted to share his story. "I got shot when I was 12 years old," he said. "You know what grade that is? That's not even eighth grade, man. Not even high school. I was in a different life then." Darrent Williams was shot to death early Monday morning in the back of a stretch limousine after leaving a Denver night club hours after the Broncos lost their final game of the season. The loss knocked them out of the playoffs. Witnesses have described an altercation at the club. Denver police continue to investigate and recently arrested a person of interest. Funeral services were held Saturday at Great Commission Baptist Church in Fort Worth, where Williams grew up. Eric Williams took the news of Darrent Williams' murder differently than most.