When Patrick Williams dislocated his wrist in October, the last two people he wanted to call were his parents.
He knew they’d do too much — insist on buying tickets for the next flight out Chicago, flood him relentlessly with care and concern. That’s the burden of being the youngest kid of the family, especially for a 20-year-old halfway across the country, away from his family, suddenly facing the first serious injury of his career.
But Williams didn’t want anybody to worry. Especially himself. That’s why, at the same time, he didn’t want to be alone — worry was harder to chase away when he didn’t have people around him, when he couldn’t crack jokes with teammates or pry advice out of veterans and coaches.
