Williams Video Interview

TACOMA, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran University men's basketball student-athlete Kelton Williams is a sophomore team captain for the Lutes and talked about the team's trip to California for a three-game tour and a visit to the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers practice facility. 

"We flew down to California to play three games, have some quality time with our coaches and teammates, and to visit the NBA Practice Facility," Williams said.

"While we were there, we played three schools: Chapman University, California Institute of Technology, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges. We lost our first two games and then won against Claremont which was awesome. The game was tough, we had to battle it out most of the time, but we ended up winning and were so honored. It was an overall confidence booster for us," explained Williams. 

Williams has a special relationship with the Clippers, one of two National Basketball Association teams to call Los Angeles home. Growing up, Williams played basketball with the son of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer from age twelve to seventeen. He was able to connect the LA Clippers owner to PLU so the men's basketball team could see behind the scenes of an NBA practice facility. 

"Going to the NBA practice facility was an eye-opener. We got to see how teams and players practice, eat, and train. It was an awesome experience to see how players train at the next level, the NBA," said Williams. "We had a team practice at the facility, then went on a tour to see the whole place. We got to see a lot of behind the scenes stuff. We felt like we were NBA players for that day, practicing in the facility and hanging out as a team. It was a great experience and memory for the whole team."

Off the court, the PLU men's basketball team were able to hit the beach, spend time together around the city, and enjoy eating out at restaurants. 

"The funniest memory of the trip was when Assistant Coach Eric Ritter jumped off the pier at the beach and swam in. We all joked around and he told us he would do it, but no one believed he would do it until he actually did, and it was fun to watch," Williams said. 

This season, only being a sophomore, Williams became one of the team captains. He enjoys his position as team captain and how he is able to motivate the team.

"I'm the youngest team captain this year. Being a captain, I can give my support and motivation to the team and push them to work harder. They encourage me as I encourage them which is awesome as a captain," stated Williams. 

When asked advice he would give someone coming into collegiate basketball he said: 

"Coming from high school, you are one of the best players on your team and coming to college can sometimes be a confidence killer. Work hard and it will pay off, trust me," Williams said.
"Remember to work hard and be alert so that when you number is called, you are ready to get onto the court and show everyone what you can do."

Outside of basketball, Williams spends his time with his family and his friends. Family is very important to Williams which was a deciding factor on him going to college close to home. His favorite way to relax is to play video games like 'Call of Duty' and 'NBA 2k' with his friends.