Deron Williams is all about Autism Awareness and giving back, says his son changed him. His life took a turn in the summer of 2011. While Williams prepared to ship off to Turkey for a stint at Besiktas during the NBA lockout, his 22-month-old son D.J. was diagnosed with autism.
“I didn’t want to believe it,” Williams says. “We thought he might have just had hearing issues when he wasn’t looking at us. We had his hearing checked. He was having nose bleeds, so we thought he might be having neurological damage.” D.J. (short for Deron Jr.) was adopted by the Williams family as a newborn from an agency in Utah. Amy is also adopted, fueling her desire to adopt a child. Ironically, D.J. was born at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, four miles away from Barclays Center and it happens to be the official hospital of the Nets. D.J.’s diagnosis left Deron and Amy with a whirl of emotions.
“You start wondering if the kid if going to have a normal life and get married even though he’s only 2 years old,” Williams says.
Now 5, D.J. is starting kindergarten and living as normal a life as he can. D.J. goes to therapy three times a week and battles the challenges of autism. Loud music and crowded areas make D.J. anxious, and his parents must be attentive of his whereabouts at all times. When Williams founded his foundation, Point of Hope, in 2007 with Amy, it focused on single parents, the Salt Lake City community and support for a variety of diseases and causes.
In 2012, after D.J.’s diagnosis, Williams began a partnership with Autism Speaks. As one of his first events in conjunction with Autism Speaks, Williams hosted 30 families with autistic children affected by Hurricane Katrina at a Manhattan establishment for lunch, live music, activities and presents. Even before D.J. was diagnosed with autism, Williams put heavy weight on community service. “As athletes, we have the ability to affect people,” he says. “I’d say for people who support us night-in, night-out on the basketball court, it’s our way of giving back how we can.”
D.J.’s diagnosis changed the game. For Williams, giving back became more than part of being a professional athlete. It got personal.
One of his events dedicated to raising money for autism awareness is the Dodge Barrage Tournament, a dodgeball tourney founded back in Utah in 2009 with then-Jazz teammate Kyle Korver. The original tournament benefited Point of Hope and the Kyle Korver Foundation. The Dodge Barrage has since moved to New York City, where it appeared in 2013. This year’s event will take place today at Manhattan’s Basketball City at Pier 36, and guests are expected to include NBA players Mason Plumlee, Jarrett Jack and Andrei Kirilenko, Giants punter Steve Weatherford, comedian Jay Pharoah, singer Ray J and broadcaster Ryan Ruocco.
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