Orlando, FL – Michael Carter-Williams spends much of his time working out. No matter what new city he visits, any place with a weight room, a basketball court and enough space to exercise feels like home to him. That feeling never falters, even when he has no team to play for. He’s still able to find perfect peace inside a gym even when he doesn’t have a place to travel to or even a city’s name to wear on his chest.
Such was the case in March 2019, when Carter-Williams would often take to a California gym to work out while he was a free agent. He prioritized keeping his body in excellent condition even when his mind wasn’t. The 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year was just released by the Houston Rockets, his fifth team in just as many seasons. Carter-Williams yearned to play in the league again during what was then a low point in his life.
He was working out at that gym one day when he heard his phone ring. The call was from then-Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford, who coached Carter-Williams in Charlotte a year prior. Carter-Williams answered the phone hoping he would receive an invitation to join the Magic, something his agent had briefly discussed to him as a possibility beforehand.
Clifford asked his former point guard a simple question: “Are you ready to play?”
Carter-Williams couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.
“Luckily I was [ready],” Carter-Williams said. “I was ecstatic.”
Carter-Williams had connections in Orlando before he donned the iconic pinstripes. Not only was he familiar with Clifford’s scheme, but general manager John Hammond traded for him when he worked for the Milwaukee Bucks. The two remained close even after their times in Milwaukee ended, making their reunion all the more exciting.
“I’ve talked to John [Hammond] ever since I got let go from Milwaukee, and I had no idea that I was going to end up in Orlando,” Carter-Williams said. “It’s just funny how the world works…and everything comes full circle.”
Those pre-established relationships made Carter-Williams’s transition to the Magic a seamless one, and the allure of immediately playing big minutes attracted him to Orlando even further.
But over time, Carter-Williams’s connection with his team and its city deepened in a way that extended beyond basketball.
“Every time I put a Magic jersey on, I’m ready to go as hard as I possibly can,” Carter-Williams said. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity that they give me every time I step on the floor. I kind of owe them that.”
And so when the Magic came calling again four years later, Carter-Williams answered with the same enthusiasm as he did when Clifford first welcomed him to Orlando.
“I’m excited,” Carter-Williams said. “I’ve been out for so long. I’m just excited to put on a jersey again, get back out there and have an impact on the team.”
Basketball is a brutal game. The intense movements players make throughout the course of a rigorous season each year can damage the bodies of even the world’s greatest athletes. Carter-Williams realized that the hard way when he underwent surgery on Aug. 23, 2021 to remove a bone fragment from the inside of his left ankle. Not too long after, he had another surgery to repair a ligament in that same ankle. Both surgeries were massive, and recovering from them was not easy.
Setback after setback kept him off the court for the entire 2021-22 season. He longed to return to play, but his ankle prevented him from doing so. He wasn’t even traveling with the team at that point. Carter-Williams loved his team and city, and they loved him back. But the pandemic decimated his team’s roster that year. The Magic desperately needed active players during that time. They acquired two players—Bol Bol and PJ Dozier— in a trade with the Boston Celtics, but they needed to make room for them on the roster. As a result, the Magic made the difficult, painful decision to waive Carter-Williams on Feb. 10, 2021.
“[Getting cut] didn’t have anything to do with me not wanting to be there,” Carter-Williams said. “It’s just the timing that just didn’t add up.”
No one likes to hear that they’ve been cut, but Carter-Williams understood the decision and harbors no resentment toward the team for it. He already knew what his next steps would be: focusing on healing and staying positive through that process.
“It’s a business at the end of the day, and nothing’s really personal,” Carter-Williams said. “Just keep putting a smile on your face and keep moving forward.”
While away from the NBA, Carter-Williams devoted most of his time to rehabbing his ankle. Most of that rehab consisted of re-learning the simple ankle movements that most people take for granted. He would move his ankle in the same motions. Up and down. Left and right. Day after day after day. The monotony of these exercises could dull anyone’s brain, but he countered that by reading books and watching more basketball than ever before.
For the most part, Carter-Williams was in good spirits during his hiatus. But occasionally, the time he spent away from the game he loved affected his mental health, and the thoughts that would sometimes permeate his mind were not always pleasant.
“Your mind plays games like that a little bit: ‘Am I ever going to come back?’ ‘Is my ankle ever going to be the same?’” Carter-Williams said. “All those questions run through your head, so I had to stay mentally strong and make sure I was putting in the work to tell myself, ‘I’m still going, and I’m going to be healthy at the end of this journey.’”
As he did his best to keep his brain healthy, his family did the same to his heart. Carter-Williams thinks of his wife, Tia, his daughter, Charleigh, and his son, Rede as his “biggest inspirations,” and the extra time he spent with them over the past year kept him happy during this difficult period in his life.
“I just think [being with family] brought me a lot more peace,” Carter-Williams said. “Your priorities start to line up better once you’re around the family a little bit more, and a lot of things seem to not matter so much.”
Carter-Williams made every minute of family time count, since the constant travel the NBA requires inhibited his ability to do so. Those moments reminded him that he had a title he cherished much more than NBA player: father.
“As long as I’m doing the right things on and off the court and trying to make my kids the best people they can be,” Carter-Williams said, “I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”
But Carter-Williams never strayed from his primary goal: to make his NBA return. He worked as hard as he could so that his family could once again see him play basketball on the biggest stage.
“I wanted to see them happy,” Carter-Williams said. “Just for them to see me on the floor was a big motivator for me.”
And very soon, his family will see their husband and father back on the court.
Carter-Williams was never completely away from the Magic. Despite not being on the team’s roster, he remained in the team group chat and occasionally watched the squad play. He was always willing to give advice and help coach younger players, providing his former team with as much veteran support as he could. His bonds with his ex-teammates only grew, especially with fellow point guard Markelle Fultz. The two worked out at the same gym in Los Angeles over the summer and would frequently connect. His camaraderie with Fultz and many other players made coming back to Orlando a much easier process than if he were to play elsewhere.
“I was on the team for a year and a half with some of the guys as well,” Carter-Williams said. “It was like I was already part of the team, so I never really went through that awkward stage.”
Carter-Williams has always been part of the Orlando Magic family, regardless of whether or not he wore their jersey. And now that his ankle is better than ever, the Magic were very eager to give him his roster spot back. That feeling was mutual.
He spoke to head coach Jamahl Mosley about the team, his potential role on it and basketball in general. It was a conversation not just between player and coach, but as two friends with a shared love for the game.
The Magic and Carter-Williams agreed to a two-year deal that was announced on Feb. 26, 2023, a little over a year after he was waived. Although Magic fans eagerly awaited his return to action, no one was more excited about the deal than Carter-Williams.
“I miss competing more than anything,” Carter-Williams said. “Enjoying moments [with the team] is something that I’m really looking forward to.”
The Magic were not the only team who were interested in Carter-Williams. He had to choose between Orlando and a couple of other suitors. However, signing with the Magic allowed him to maintain the life he built in Central Florida. His decision was almost too easy.
“The timing just all fit together,” Carter-Williams said. “I was already living in Orlando. I still had my house. My kids are in school here. So it was easy; I didn’t have to move anywhere. I could come right away.”
Carter-Williams had more reasons for choosing the Magic than merely convenience. He adores Orlando and the connections he’s built there. This city and team will always be special to him for how much support they’ve given him.
“I’ll always have love for this city,” Carter-Williams said. “I’ll always have love for this organization. They gave me a chance when I was down and out and I can’t thank them enough for that.”
The Magic have given Carter-Williams more than just a chance. They’ve given him valuable life lessons that he hopes to give to his children one day. They taught him how to be patient. They taught him how important friendships truly are. They taught him to keep smiling, regardless of circumstances.
But most importantly, they taught him to never give up. Through his brand-new contract with the same team that waived him a year prior, the Magic showed him that there’s always a light at the end of even the darkest tunnels.
“If you’re in a hard situation, it’s not always going to last,” Carter-Williams said. “You just got to keep fighting through it, and everything will be alright.”
In the end, everything worked out alright for Carter-Williams, and he credits the Magic for it. Taking time away from basketball allowed him to build a life for himself and his family in Orlando, giving him a deeper appreciation for this city. He loves Orlando enough to consider staying here after his playing days are over.
“I don’t know what’s in store for me after my career, whether it’s coaching or doing something away from basketball,” Carter-Williams said. “No mater what it is, Orlando will always be a home for me…and this is definitely somewhere I can see myself living.”
Carter-Williams embraces the city that gave him a much-needed opportunity to play basketball four years ago. He’s close with his neighbors and the friends he made here, and he even plans on enrolling his youngest son in a local school next year. Orlando is not just where Carter-Williams lives. It’s his home. And he doesn’t even need to go to a gym to feel that way.
“This is my home now,” Carter-Williams said. “This is definitely my home now.”
