Sportando interviews Rasta Vechta point guard Richard 'Richie' Williams

Sportando had the chance to interview Richard 'Richie' Williams, the point guard of German team Rasta Vechta.
Williams is averaging 13.5ppg, 5.8rpg and 5.6apg in Beko BBL.

1. Richie, in the last months you have been one of the top players in BBL with Rasta Vechta’s jersey. Let’s take a look at the past, first: how dod you get into basketball? And why did you chose to turn your passion into your work?
My first time playing basketball was when I was 8. My mom was my first basketball coach in a local recreational league. Ever since then I didn't want to stop playing. It was something I could do alone and I was naturally good at it. That childhood passion carried right on into adulthood. I never wanted to stop playing and being paid to do what I love is a blessing. Making basketball my profession was a no-brainer

2. You graduated from S. Diego State in 2009. Who were the main personalities (coaches, teammates) during your college experience?
Well known Steve Fisher was my coach during my time at San Diego State. Some of my teammates were Brandon Heath, Marcus Slaughter, Ryan Amoroso and DJ Gay. The biggest influence on me though would be Assistant Coach Justin Hudson. He was huge part of development and the things he taught me then, I still use now.

3. You are the “surprise” PG in top german basketball and now you’re being noticed by several european clubs. Can you tell us about your vision of the PG position, and about your skills?
My vision as a point guard is to be well rounded. I feel a point guard should be able to pick up anything where the team is lacking. That can vary from game to game. It could be rebounds, points, playmaking, being the best defender. And as the leader on the court a point guard should play with heart and toughness. Those are all things I take pride in when I approach the game.

4. After you college years, you landed in Iceland in 2009. How was your impact with a country so different from US?
Iceland was my first European experience so I didn't know what to expect. It was also my most difficult situation. Learning how to adapt to different cultures, being away from home, being self sufficient and learning a different brand of basketball are the skills I picked up from there. Iceland was definitely a learning experience.

5 After Germany you want to Germany, in ProB with Hannover and then Vechta (proB first and after being nominated MVP of the ProB you went up with them to BBL): what are the biggests differences between Iceland and Germany and how you would evaluate the level of german basketball (the whole movement has been seriously growing in the last years)?
In my opinion the biggest difference between basketball in Iceland and Germany would be the level of play. Nothing against he Icelandic league but it's much more competitive, even at the lower leagues such as Pro B. The level of play here in Germany is constantly growing as well. I see more and more big named talent coming here.

6. In 2013-14 you have already been nominated 2 times “Player of the Month” in October and December. Not bad for a rookie. Can you describe your and Vectha’s season? Where do you feel you have improved and where do you feel that you still need improvements?
Our season has been a learning process. We have an inexperience team when it comes to playing in the BBL. We've been getting better and currently on 2 game winning streak that we're trying to keep going. This experience is improving my game so much. My decision making is getting better, my playmaking is getting better, and I'm getting better at knowing when to takeover the game. One thing I can improve on is my consistency from 3, but that has been much better that last couple games.

7. What’s your situation? Will you be free agent at the end of the season? Were you approached by other clubs already?
Right, I am a free agent after this season. I've had some interest from other clubs but nothing concrete. My agents take care of all the off-court job, my focus is finishing this season with Vechta as strong as possible right now. There's still a lot basketball to be played this season.