Deron Williams spent 12 seasons in the NBA.
Deron Williams, a former 12-year NBA veteran and three-time NBA All-Star, is set to fight in an undercard bout in mid-December. Per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, Williams will compete at the event headlined by Jake Paul and Tommy Fury on Dec. 18 in Tampa, Fla.
His opponent for the match will be another professional athlete, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Frank Gore, a 16-year NFL veteran and former Pro Bowler, will face Williams in a four-round heavyweight bout.
ESPN Sources: Three-time NBA All-Star Deron Williams is fighting longtime NFL running back Frank Gore in a four-round heavyweight bout on Showtime’s PPV undercard of Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury on Dec. 18 at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 9, 2021
Another former NBA player is stepping into the boxing ring ➡️ #PaulFury
(via @marc_raimondi) pic.twitter.com/vEBTvst7bM
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) November 5, 2021
During his playing days, Williams, 37, was listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. Per ESPN, he has trained for years in mixed martial arts and boxing and owns a stake in Fortis MMA, a Dallas-area MMA training facility regarded as one of the best in the sport.
Williams played for four teams in the NBA, but had some of his best seasons with the Utah Jazz from 2005-11. He was a three-time All-Star and averaged 17.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game during his time in Salt Lake City. He also played for the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets from 2011-15, averaging 16.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 7.5 apg while making two All-Star appearances there as well.
From 2015-17, Williams played for the Dallas Mavericks but was bought out and waived by the team in February of 2017. He then latched on with the Cavaliers during their run to The Finals, but he was a seldom-used player and Cleveland lost 4-0 to the Golden State Warriors in that series.
Williams was a member of the U.S. National Team in 2008 and 2012, winning a gold medal both times at the Olympics.
