What made Corey one of a kind

Members of the NBL commentary team have paid tribute to their great mate Corey Williams.

Williams passed away last Friday after a battle with colon cancer, but left an incredible legacy both on and off the basketball court. 

For his long-time NBL Overtime co-hosts, Liam Santamaria and Cam Luke, Williams was simply one of a kind. 

“He would always say to us, ‘save it for on air’. He didn’t want to do the meetings, he didn’t want to talk about it before, and the reason is because he’s authentic – on-air and off-air,” Santamaria said. 

“He wanted to be authentic, because that’s who he was.”

The man affectionately known as ‘Homicide’, fostered from his dominance on the streetball scene in New York, grew a connection with NBL fans that was simply unrivalled.

Williams created discussion, excitement and controversy never before seen in the league. He made people stand up and listen.

NBL aficionados and on-air talent alike fell in love with his passion for the game and his ability to deliver his opinion like no other. 

“Bang, he would look straight down his camera and his ability to maybe take 30 seconds … his ability to be able to conjure up stuff he’s been thinking about and deliver was as good as anyone I’ve known in the caper,” Luke reflected. 

For five years, Williams lit up the TV screen as a member of Overtime, and even when he started his battle with illness, he would constantly talk about when he’d be back for more. 

“You always knew Corey was a man of the people, but the amount of people he knew or knew him or feel close to Corey … there’s a lot of people who never met him who felt close to Corey, because they watched him for years and years and loved watching him on TV and listening to him call the game of their teams, but a lot of people he did know personally,” Santamaria added.

Williams was just as influential on game night, whether it was during his time as a player, claiming the league’s MVP and several All-NBL jerseys, and later, as a commentator. 

“From the first time I met Corey 17 years ago when he was playing in Townsville, you knew he was different and he was going to be great for basketball in Australia,” John Casey said. 

“To me he was larger than life. A force of nature that no one or no thing could ever bring down.”

“He really changed the way NBL Media is presented to the world. He went out on a limb, stuck his neck out there, made comments, analysed the game, brought an energy and entertainment to it that I don’t think we’ve seen before,” Derek Rucker continued.

Every step of the way, Williams was an incredible ambassador for the NBL and its growth. He wanted everyone to know this was “no cupcake league”. 

“He was able to reach out to so many people and spread positivity and I was just amazed at how much enthusiasm he had in that quest,” Rucker added. 

While his journey was cut far too short, at 46 years young, Corey’s legacy will live on. He was a trailblazer of the NBL, and he always did it with a smile. 

“I’m so grateful that he knew what he meant to all of us,” Neroli Meadows said.

“Cancer is a horrible thing, but it gave us the opportunity to tell us just how much we love and what he brought to the game we love.

“The thing about Corey that will stay with me is that there is no better feeling on Earth than feeling safe and celebrated to be exactly who you are, and that’s what he did for me and that’s what he did for a whole lot of people.”

Watch a very special Overtime tribute to Corey Williams on Thursday, May 16 from 7.30pm AEST on the NBL website and app.

A service celebrating the life of Corey will be held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Saturday, May 18 from 10.30am AEST. The event will be live-streamed across the NBL’s digital channels.