Exclusive: Ziaire Williams talks Lancaster basketball clinic, joining Lakers

LOS ANGELES — Ziaire Williams is home.

The inflection in his voice, a day after hosting kids at his annual basketball clinic in Lancaster, is clear – Williams is thrilled to join the Lakers, for more reasons than one, he said.

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“I just feel like my calling is to give back to where I’m from,” Williams told the Southern California News Group on Sunday in an exclusive interview. “I’m grateful for the opportunity that I get to even have the chance to be able to put on this event. And I’m glad I’ll be back home in L.A. playing for the home team, because now I have a couple more opportunities to do a lot more than just one camp a year.”

Williams’ free basketball clinic – hosted two minutes from where the sixth-year pro grew up at Eastside High School – along with Herbalife and IMPACT basketball, provided players from 6 to 18 years old with a skills clinic, a three-on-three tournament, nutritional education and more. It was an event that Williams said is important for him to hold every year, considering the lack of events in the Antelope Valley, he said, when he was growing up.

His message to kids?

“Have fun and work hard,” Williams said. “Whether you want to be an NBA player or a doctor or a journalist, if you put your mind to it, you have ultimate faith and confidence, and you do the right things for good reasons, oftentimes you see good results come back.”

Joining the Lakers on a one-year, $3 million deal in July, the Sierra Canyon alumnus said he is looking forward to the challenge of playing with the Lakers – and being a voice for young athletes from the “661.”

“I just thought it was a great opportunity,” Williams said of why he chose to sign with the Lakers after averaging a career-high 10.2 points per game for the Brooklyn Nets last season. “Being that big wing, versatile player that they needed, I just thought it was a great opportunity for me to be a Laker. Even if the same team was in New Orleans or Milwaukee, wherever – just the opportunity that was here and the team that they had, I just thought it was the best fit. And then just being back home in L.A. is the cherry on top. Being able to play in front of my family and my friends, and I’m super excited.”

Williams continued: “It’s all full circle.”

Williams said in his early conversations with Lakers coach JJ Redick and President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka, they have told him that their focus for him is “first and foremost, being a main defender, point-of-attack defender.”

Williams has played in a variety of roles since the Memphis Grizzlies traded for his draft rights as the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9 forward, who said the offseason was his biggest weight-and-strength-wise and is now listed at “about 215 pounds,” added that the Lakers believed he could add an impact defensively considering his length on the hardwood, while making plays in transition offensively.

“Obviously Luka (Doncic) and AR (Austin Reaves) are going to be the main primary ball handlers,” Williams said. “So just playing off them, being able to shoot, cut, make plays in transition, stuff like that. They thought it was a great fit for me to be here, and the feeling was mutual.”

Bronny James is a familiar face for Williams on the Lakers.

James played alongside Williams at Sierra Canyon during the 2019-2020 season. Williams said “it’s always good” when entering a new situation, that he has someone that he can “love and trust” on the team, who is familiar with the system on the Lakers.

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“That’s my brother,” Williams said. “I’m definitely grateful for that. He’s great. He’s had a great summer. He looks great right now. He’s given me a couple pointers and things about the offense and defense that JJ likes.”

Just last week, Williams was in Doncic’s hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia with the rest of the Lakers’ roster – sans rookie Cameron Carr who had mandatory rookie orientation duties – for four days as they started the bonding process before the preseason truly begins in late September with training camp.

Williams said Doncic “has big kid energy, like a young, youthful spirit,” adding that he could tell how much Doncic cared about winning games but also how much he cares about his teammates.

“I can tell (Doncic’s) leadership. He wants to step up even more this year,” Williams said. “I’m excited, man. I’m really excited to play with him. And of course, when we’re playing basketball, it’s just he makes the game just so easy and looks so simple. He’s going to make my life a lot easier for sure.”

Williams said the highlight of the trip was the rowing competition the Lakers had on Lake Bled in the Julian Alps in Slovenia, adding that sightseeing Slovenian castles and bowling alongside his teammates, among other team-bonding events, will “translate to the court.”

While some members of the team were able to meet up in during the summer league in Las Vegas as the team’s acquisitions slowly became official during the offseason, Ljubljana was an opportunity for most of the team to play five-on-five basketball.

Williams, who said he’s been working on his shot a lot and “finishing at the rim,” said the workouts were a “great” glimpse into what the season ahead could look like.

“We’re going to mesh really well,” Williams said. “We have a bunch of guys that can do a lot of things on the court. I think we’re going to be great, man. There’s a lot of motivation here and a lot of guys that are ready to prove and willing, you know, that we’re capable of playing on a winning stage. It was a lot of good runs, and there’ll be more to come.”

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