NIL Name Image Likeness “I’ll have a game where I play 5 minutes and I’ll shed a tear. I know it’s gotta get better. I just have to work my way back up...It gets dark, but I can't lose the light inside of me.” Mikey Williams UCF Basketball Player Pivot Family! As we are gearing up for March Madness in college hoops, Ryan, Channing and Fred sit down with social media star and former #1 high school prospect, Mikey Williams, who is playing at the University of Central Florida and opening up after his fall from the top of the basketball world after his arrest in 2023. The once considered "basketball prodigy" shows a vulnerable side as he reflects on how quickly his success came and how quickly it all slipped away with some bad choices, legal troubles and personal struggles. Becoming a social media sensation through his skill set, Williams talks about how he became a brand in basketball at an early age, ahead of the current NIL landscape, despite telling the guys he played an internet role and really is a quiet, shy guy off the court and off camera. But with fame, came pressure and expectations, and Williams opens up about how that affected his focus at times as well as how easy it was to get caught up in the wrong places. Mikey discusses how basketball and life problems blended together, making it tough to stay locked in and how he had to navigate his path differently to get through adversity and find the right people to keep around him. Ryan and Fred ask him about the incident that changed his life, from five-star high school prospect to facing felony gun charges. Mikey doesn’t shy away from addressing his 2023 arrest, reflecting on the hard lessons learned and how the entire legal experience changed his perspective. He shares advice for young athletes about making the right decisions before it’s too late and admits that during that time, the world saw him as problem child on trial and all he could do was leave it in God’s hands to be freed from it. He reflects on the time he lost while waiting for trial at Memphis, realizing he had taken the game for granted. With so much promise and commitment to play at an elite level and be coached by the legendary Penny Hardaway, Mikey knows what his mistakes cost him and tries to keep faith that his NBA dreams are still obtainable. Now on the road to redemption, playing college ball at University of Central Florida, Williams is locked in on one goal to make it to the league and doesn't think about his plan B. Growing up in the basketball world with other young standouts like Bronny James, Mike says he isn't bitter about them making it but he definitely sheds some tears when his mind thinks about what could have been for his own future. Speaking on the criticism Bronny receives, Mike has empathy and understands what it’s like to be in the spotlight and have every move scrutinized. This conversation goes beyond the surface of what we have seen on social media and what the headlines have deemed Mikey Williams, offering a deeper more personal look into a young man who's fortune and fame early in life took him down a path that is difficult to come back from but a story he is determined to rewrite. Don't forget to hit subscribe button on YouTube and like/comment below! GET MERCH HERE: https://www.pivotpodcast.com FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST: INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot FACEBOOK | https://facebook.com/thepivotpodcast SPOTIFY | https://open.spotify.com/show/5KtXTWiC3J5WW1CVTpYG5V APPLE PODCASTS | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pivot-podcast/id1603292451 #ThePivot #Podcast #RyanClark #ChanningCrowder #FredTaylor #nfl #basketball