Former high-flying PBA MVP Kelly Williams calls it a career

TNT will have one less KaTropa to rely on when the PBA resumes after veteran forward Kelly Williams announced his retirement today at the age of 38.

" I couldn’t have predicted that I’d have the kind of career I was able to experience," he said on his lengthy Instagram post.

Known for his hustle and high-flying ability, "Machine Gun" Kelly was already a fixture in the Filipino hoops scene when he first made his name for Magnolia Ice Cream Wizards in the old PBL, before Sta. Lucia took him as the top overall pick in the loaded class of 2006 ahead of former teammate Arwind Santos, subsequently taking the Rookie of the Year honors.

With the Realtors, Williams won his lone MVP plum in 2008 with a career-best double-double of 18.2 points and 10.7 rebounds, as he was one of the key cogs of the their last conquest when they won their only Philippine Cup at the expense of Purefoods in a series that went to the distance.

He then came to the then-Tropang Texters in the middle of 2010 season and spent the next decade with the MVP-backed franchise, winning five more titles including three consecutive Philippine Cups under Chot Reyes and Norman Black.

Williams wrapped up his PBA career with an average of 10.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

Apart from that, he proudly played for the country, debuting for Team Pilipinas under Reyes that took third in the 2005 Jones Cup in Taiwan as he played for six more years winning the 2007 Manila Invitational and coming in fourth in the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship in the original iteration of Gilas Pilipinas under Rajko Toroman.

"I gave my all when I put Pilipinas and my teams on my chest and I hope you felt that," he then said.

Yet despite many battles on the court, his biggest one was outside of it, as he made his diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenia purpura public since 2009 that caused him to miss valuable playing time but he went back and won a pair of Comeback Player plums in 2010 and 2017.
It was his battle with rare blood disorder that became one of the basis behind his much-acclaimed book, Rising Higher, published in 2012

As he turn the final page of his career, Williams has no fear at all after hanging up his sneakers for good, turning his full attention to his family.

"I did the best I could with what I had, now I can lay my career to rest with peace in my heart."

Photo: PBA (FILE)