Having Dad close at hand By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 03/11/06 Pete Smith and Marvin Williams Sr. take on many forms when dealing with their sons, Hawks forwards Josh Smith and Marvin Williams. They could be asked to be a father, a friend, a confidant or an adviser. Sometimes they have to be all of them at once. But what would you do if your son were 19, an NBA rookie and newly minted millionaire in need of the wisdom and guidance that only you could provide? It's a rather unique situation in a league filled with stories of young and mostly African-American men who have grown up without fathers in their lives. "It's been an honor for me to be there for him," said the elder Williams, who relocated to Atlanta when the Hawks took his son with the second pick in last June's draft. "Marvin, his mother and I sat down last year and decided that wherever he ended up we wanted somebody to be there for him. "And as a father, your first priority is for them to be taken care of. And that's why if there is anything he needs, I'm right there for him." At most games you can spot the fathers just 10 feet away from the Hawks bench behind the basket. Most of the time they sit expressionless, trying to manage the emotions that their sons let explode with each dunk, deep jumper or blocked shot. Verbal communication usually isn't necessary during games. All it takes is a reaffirming look, a nod even, for fathers and sons to exchange pertinent information. The Smiths mastered it last season, during Josh's rookie year, when the Hawks struggled through a 13-69 campaign. Those trying times were especially tough on Josh, who has had to deal with the added pressure of playing before a hometown crowd 41 nights a year. "Sometimes I want to throw my headband in the crowd when I'm frustrated, and I look at him and he gives me a hand signal and I can check myself," said Josh Smith, now 20 and flourishing in his sophomore season. "I know if my dad wasn't around, people would think I had a temper problem, but I don't. It's just me being frustrated sometimes. "But that's why I love the mess out of my dad. He's there for me, and has always been there for me. He also takes care of my 8-month-old nephew [Zayshaun] while my sister goes off to school, and he's doing all that while being the head of our family. He's done the right things in his life to make sure I could be here doing the good things I'm doing now." Pete Smith insists that he and Williams are doing what any responsible parent would do in the same situation. They just happen to be doing it with two of Atlanta's high-profile athletes. Each father's sole employment is seeing to their sons. "It's so important for me to be here in regards to him becoming a man," said the elder Smith, 58, who disputed his son's use of the word "old" when describing him. "He still has a lot to learn. And it just so happened that God allowed me to be the resource center he needs. "The life experiences that Marvin [Sr.] has had, just like mine, give us an opportunity to try and impart some of that knowledge on our sons. What higher calling is there for a father?" Of all the advice Pete Smith has delivered, he said there's one message he repeats to his son, even now, that he hopes he always remembers. "I'm always reminding him that in this lifestyle there are always people coming your way," Smith said. "And right now, he's earned something that most people don't earn in a lifetime. That's why he has to remember that in God you trust, and all others you polygraph. "That my sound harsh to some people, but it's the way you have to be sometimes to protect yourself from people that paint a pretty picture for you and then show up with something else." Marvin Williams Sr. has had to learn to walk a similar fine line when dealing with his son and dealing with his profession. "There have been some tough times for me because you always want the very best for your child," the elder Williams said. "Marvin's had a pretty good life in terms of being around people who have loved and supported him. But he's been through some things this year that I think will build his character in the long run." Like the Smith's, the Williams's live apart — Jr. with two of his childhood friends who also have relocated to Atlanta — but close enough to drive to each other's house whenever they feel the need. "It's crazy how much I get to see him, and that's a good thing for me," Williams said of his 41-year-old father. "My dad is definitely a parent, but he's so cool and down to earth that he can come around and hang out with me and my guys and there's nothing awkward about it. He's so cool to be so old. "And honestly, I don't know what this season would have been like if I didn't have him around. I'm in a new city in my rookie year, and he's been there for everything. It's been big for me in so many ways." 资料来源 http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0311hawks.html -- 值得一看的文章。 --

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