Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams was pretty honest about his personal life and what he has been dealing with since the former Phoenix Suns head coach was fired from his job.
Williams told reporters on Tuesday that his wife Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer during the Suns’ recent playoff run.
“I had a situation personally in my family that needed attention,” Williams said. “My wife found out that she had breast cancer during the playoffs.”
He took the Detroit Pistons’ job after they received good news on Lisa’s health.
“The reason I bring that up is to not talk about my family, but to make it more of an emphasis that women need early detection testing,” Williams said, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “We had testing and scan after scan, and that might’ve saved her life and it might save others.”
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Williams did not go into detail about his wife’s diagnosis but did say she got good news sooner than they expected, and said that helped him decide to take his new coaching job with the Detroit Pistons.
Williams was given his walking papers after the Suns got eliminated from the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets in the second round.
The 51-year-old will replace Dwane Casey to lead a young Pistons roster that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2008.
The franchise is looking to turn the corner as they will have Cade Cunningham back from injury while also having the No. 5 pick in the 2023 draft. Unlike Phoenix, there isn’t much expectation for the Pistons to go out and be a contender, so Monty might be in town for some time.
