FanHouse Corliss Williamson

Arguably the best nickname in all of sports becomes a memory tonight as reports say 'Big Nasty' Corliss Williamson will announce his NBA retirement tomorrow.

Corliss was a longtime King and a member of Detroit's recent championship squad. His duties under Rick Adelman and most recently Eric Musselman had diminished, but Nasty still put his best helmet on when he hit the court. His game was a stark contrast from his power forward successor in Sactown (Chris Webber) in that Corliss' grace came in short spits, mixed with jerks and hitches you'd expect from a 7-foot-4 Senegalese (or Antawn Jamison). He was a tremendous locker room guy (he shouted down destructive teammate Ron Artest during a timeout against the Rockets last year) and a vicious bull with the ball in his paws on the court (ask Shane Battier and His Ten Stitches, received in that same game).

Big Nasty was reportedly looking for a multi-year deal in free agency this summer, but no one bit for the right price. (And the Kings already have three power forwards over the age of 30. I wish I were joking.) The Associated Press reports Corliss will be an assistant coach next season for a tiny Baptist college in his home state of Arkansas... which is kind-of the definition of 'giving back.' And that -- 'giving back' -- is the definition of Corliss Williamson as a person. God bless Big Nasty.

Shoals pondered Keith Van Horn's antipresence yesterday. It seems KVH doesn't really want to play, a shame for contenders looking for a legit rotation guy but a prize for his budding family. There's another oldish guy with a family absent from all veteran free agent discussion. But this one wants to keep playing.

Corliss Williamson is five years removed from his Sixth Man award. He turns 34 in December. He's a free agent coming off a too-rich contract, and he most recently served as a bit player on a woeful team. It's understandable he's not on the tips of tongues, but he deserves another chance like yesterday. Instant scoring when he steps on the court, he averaged 18.5 points per 40 minutes last season in Sacramento. He has never impersonated a legit rebounding machine, and he's one-third the passer Chris Webber is. But he is a tremendous chemistry guy (he had the balls to bark down Ron Artest during a contentious timeout in a January game against Houston last year) and a coach on the floor (he runs his kid's AAU team in the summer). And he's a damn angry ram out there -- in said Houston game, Shane Battier left in overtime to get stitches from a particularly brutal Williamson charge. A team like Dallas -- someone who needs a guy to come in and be aggressive when the scoreboard slows -- would be perfect for Big Nasty.

What's the problem? Corliss told local Sacramento media in July he's looking for a three-year deal. Um... yeah. That's not going to happen. Even Mikki Moore's three-year deal with the Kings included only a slight guarantee on the third year, and Mikki's three years younger and doesn't wear the biggest elbow pad ever. If Camp Nasty collects its expectations, this could be a prosperous summer for Williamson... and a steal for some patient squad.