Jim Les took advantage of Bradley’s break for final exams to go see an old friend. But it wasn’t exactly an uplifting visit.
Les and Dick Versace took a flight Sunday to Atlanta to call on Mike Williams. The center on the Braves’ mid-1980s teams — on which Les was the point guard and Versace was the coach — has been hospitalized for more than two weeks after sustaining eight gunshot wounds while serving as a security guard in a Georgia nightclub.
“It was a tough trip,” Les said. “When we got there, Mike’s mom spent about a half hour preparing us. Then Dick and I spent two hours in his room.”
Williams is heavily sedated and could not converse or even open his eyes.
“But he was well aware of our presence,” Les said. “I give Coach Versace the credit for coaching it out of him. (Versace) kept saying, ’You gotta open your eyes, let us know you’re hearing us.’
“Mike would blink or flicker his eyelids to let us know he was hearing us. It resulted in two hours of memories and reminiscing. I got a word in every so often.”
Upon returning, Les spoke with the current Braves about the visit.
“I told ’em we don’t necessarily get a sense of how special being a part of a team is,” he said. “It’s a bond that’s created for a lifetime with how much time we spend together. That bond with Mike in that room under tough circumstances was special.
“He’s putting up a heckuva fight and going against a lot of odds. He’s certainly not out of the woods, but if anybody is going to kick these injuries, it’s going to be Mike.”
— Dave Reynolds
