Ingrid Elaine Williams died tragically last week in a car accident, and her husband Monty Williams spoke eloquently at her funeral Thursday.
Williams, an assistant coach with the OKC Thunder, urged forgiveness for the deceased driver who caused his wife’s death.
A contingent of NBA coaches and players from Williams’ career attended in support.
Per The Oklahoman:
There was peace inside the northwest Oklahoma City sanctuary as the Thunder assistant coach took his seat at 2 p.m., the NBA trade deadline. Less than two hours earlier, multiple reports had Thunder players Steve Novak and D.J. Augustin being traded to Denver. Yet both of them were seated with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Thunder players in pews adjacent to the Williams family. Just rows behind sat Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers, their teams set to play each other late Thursday in Los Angeles. […] The trade deadline is a chaotic time for NBA families and front offices. But some of the league’s biggest power brokers weren’t closing last-minute deals Thursday. Future Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Chris Paul weren’t wondering who their teams would acquire. Instead, they were in Oklahoma City for a memorial service, to celebrate the life of Williams’ wife, Ingrid, who died Feb. 10 from injuries suffered in a multi-car crash.
“It just shows what kind of guy Monty is, what kind of person Ingrid is, and the impact they made with different organizations and different coaches’ lives,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “In talking to Monty, the one thing that’s really humbled him is the outpouring of support, and the amount of people that have reached out to him and his family.” […] Many players, coaches, and front-office staff from around the NBA were among the 900 in attendance. The New Orleans Pelicans, who Williams coached five seasons, returned to OKC a week after playing the Thunder here. Former NBA coaches P.J. Carlesimo, Jeff Van Gundy, Avery Johnson and Tom Thibodeau came.
(Williams) closed by reminding everyone the Feb. 9 crash claimed two lives. Susannah Donaldson died at the site of the crash on South Western Avenue after her vehicle struck Ingrid’s head-on. Police say Donaldson was traveling at 92 mph in a 40-mph zone 1.2 seconds before the crash. […] “In my house, we have a sign that says ‘As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.’ We cannot serve the Lord if we don’t have a heart of forgiveness,” Williams said. “That family didn’t wake up wanting to hurt my wife. We, as a group, brothers united in unity, should be praying for that family.”
