Derrick Williams: 'LeBron inspires me at 41, I'm at the peak of my career at 35'

The yellow and black number 2 jersey of AEK Athens sits neatly in the locker, but the story Derrick Williams brought to the training court that day is more than just a contract. At 35, the former No. 2 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft stands before a paradox: the older he gets, the more he feels he has reached the best version of himself. "I'm in the best phase of my career," Williams said, his voice steady like the rhythm of a ball bouncing on hardwood. That statement, placed against the glorious past of a lottery pick once expected to become an NBA cornerstone, sounds both like a challenge and a self-reassurance. The context of this return is not simple. AEK Athens, a club aiming for the Basketball Champions League (BCL) title, signed Williams as their most important deal of the summer. They don't need the fastest player on the court; they need someone who has faced the pressure of the planet's most unforgiving arena. Williams, with seven NBA seasons and years in Europe, brings what the scoreboard cannot show: the calm of someone who has seen it all. He named Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, PAOK, and Aris as the opponents he most wants to face, but deep inside, his ambition points to a bigger stage: the BCL. What makes Williams' "peak of career" claim noteworthy is not the statistics, but how he redefines his own value. In the past, Williams was a forward built on explosive athleticism: lightning first steps from the three-point line, powerful finishes after one dribble. But at 35, that physicality is no longer his ultimate weapon. He understands this. That's why the three words he repeated during the press day were "energy, effort, and efficiency" – a quiet admission that he can no longer win with speed, but must win with intelligence and selectivity in every possession. The comparison to LeBron James, who at 41 still plays at an elite level, is a double-edged sword. In media terms, it creates a beautiful narrative about veteran longevity. But tactically, it places Williams against a standard he can hardly reach. LeBron sustains his peak through playmaking and basketball IQ that rank among the rarest in history – qualities Williams never possessed at a comparable level. His game was always more dependent on physical tools. This doesn't mean Williams' claim is false; it means it should be understood differently: this is a peak of role, not a peak of athleticism. At AEK, Williams is no longer a rotation piece like his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves or Sacramento Kings. He is the center of the system, the player around whom the coaching staff builds the offense. In a league with lower talent density than the NBA, becoming the number one star of a team can create a feeling of peak that absolute numbers don't fully capture. This is the blind spot many fans miss when they hear an aging player declare he's at his best: they compare him to his own self from a decade ago, rather than to the role and responsibility he now carries. But the risk is real. Williams' game, built on first-step explosiveness and vertical athleticism, features the exact attributes that decline earliest for forwards. His NBA numbers show efficiency already declining in his late 20s. At 35, the question isn't whether he can still be a good player, but whether he can sustain his level through a long season with a dense schedule, especially in the BCL's single-elimination format – where one game can end an entire campaign. Williams' emphasis on "efficiency" shows he is acutely aware of this. He is repositioning himself as a smarter, more selective player, rather than trying to race against his own past. Williams' story also sends a larger signal about the European transfer market. A former NBA lottery pick choosing AEK over more prestigious EuroLeague clubs reflects the growing competitiveness of second-tier continental competitions. The BCL, though below the EuroLeague in prestige, is increasingly capable of attracting recognizable names. And when Williams mentions NBA Europa – the idea of a European league run by the NBA – he touches on a topic simmering beneath the surface of European basketball. If that league materializes, it would fundamentally reshape the continent's basketball structure, and clubs like AEK are betting on their potential inclusion in the new game. When the season begins, every declaration will be tested by reality. Williams may no longer be the player who scored 23 points per game in Minnesota, but he can become what AEK truly needs: a leader, someone who has stood under the brightest lights and no longer fears anything. The question isn't whether he is at the peak of his career, but whether that peak is enough to carry AEK through the toughest challenges. And perhaps, that is what makes this story worth watching.