University of Memphis freshman hoops star Mikey Williams pleaded guilty in a California court on Thursday, Nov. 30, to a single felony charge of making criminal threats. Williams was facing multiple felony charges in the case, including five counts of assault with a firearm and one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle in connection with an incident outside his home on March 27. This plea deal means Williams can avoid jail time if specific conditions are met. So what’s next for the baller?
“Cases are individually looked at,” said deputy district attorney George Modlin of the San Diego District Attorney’s office. “There is no rubber stamp for any type of case, but when we looked into the details of Mr. Williams’ age, lack of criminal record, everything that took place that night, both sides got together and worked really hard and came up with a resolution that we both believed creates justice for Mr. Williams and the community, keeps the community safe and creates the proper safeguards.”
Plea Deal Avoids Jail Time
Williams can get the charge reduced to a misdemeanor if he doesn’t break any laws, takes a gun safety course and finishes 80 hours of community service before his sentencing, currently scheduled for August 2024.
This is a huge win for Williams and keeps his basketball career on track, though Memphis has made no comment about his eligibility for the upcoming season.
“I feel good, brother,” Williams said Thursday outside the San Diego courtroom in a video posted by Overtime. “All glory to God. I’m just happy that I made it out of this situation. But I’m just excited to get back to the court.”
Williams Needs To Be Set Up For Success And Willing To Accept It
Williams became a social media celebrity via his high school basketball highlights, was a five-star prospect and because of NIL deals was raking in millions of dollars.
He is a teenager who purchased a 3,700-square-foot home in a San Diego suburb for $1.2 million in 2022 and was living in it with a teammate from San Ysidro High School.
According to On3, which tracks the value of NIL deals signed by high school and college athletes, Williams was earning a reported $3.3 million per year.
A lot of his sponsors dropped him as a result of this criminal case. It is unclear where they stand now as it relates to the plea deal.
Williams like many athletes before him is at a crossroads. If the fame and money return quickly and he hasn’t learned anything from this recent incident, who’s to say what will happen next.
Very few people are equipped to handle fame and fortune, especially at a young age. What he needs now is structure and mentorship. He also needs to be willing and humble enough to accept structure and mentorship.
Williams can say anything now, but the proof will be in his actions and behavior going forward, and time will tell if he’s on the right path.
