Williams Off the Air

Jayson Williams is out for now as an NBA analyst for NBC Sports.

The former NBA All-Star has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of a limousine driver. Williams surrendered to authorities Monday and is free on $250,000 bail.

“NBC Sports and Jayson Williams have reached mutual agreement that it’s best for Jayson to focus on his personal issues and to not be on the air until those issues are resolved,” the network said Tuesday.

The case against Williams probably will not be resolved quickly. A prosecutor said he does not expect to present the case to a Hunterdon County grand jury for several months.

In his first season with NBC, Williams is known for his humorous style. He had been scheduled to appear on the network Sunday.

Marv Albert, NBC’s lead NBA play-by-play announcer, was fired by the network within hours of pleading guilty to assault and battery in September 1997. He had continued to work for NBC after being indicted that May. Albert returned to NBC in 1999.

Acting county prosecutor Steven C. Lember planned to argue that Williams recklessly handled the shotgun that killed Costas Christofi, 55, of Washington Borough.

*

Menk Bateer, most valuable player of the Chinese Basketball Association All-Star game, has rejoined the Denver Nuggets. Bateer, 26, was with Denver in training camp. The 6-foot-11 forward-center becomes the NBA’s second Chinese player, joining Wang Zhizhi of the Dallas Mavericks.