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Roy Williams on knee pain: ‘It’s going to be better’

NCAA Notre Dame North Carolina Basketball

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams reacts after cutting the net after a regional final men’s college basketball game against Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2016, in Philadelphia. North Carolina won 88-74 to advance to the Final Four. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

AP

Heading into this offseason, one of the major talking points regarding some of the biggest programs in the country was that North Carolina head coach Roy Williams may have coached his last college basketball game.

Between the NCAA investigation looming over the head of his program and the knee pain that he had been dealing with all season long, it made sense even if it had far more to do with speculation than it did with any clear indication from Roy that his career may be winding down.

Williams joined UNC alum Vince Carter on an NBA Summer League broadcast over the July 4th weekend, and he spent some time discussing his knee health and what that means for his coaching future.

And it was good news for the Tar Heels.

“Total knee replacement on my right knee, five weeks ago yesterday,” Williams told the NBA TV broadcast. “The surgeon assured my I could play golf in August, and I said, ‘I’m going to hold you to that.’”

If Williams is healthy enough to golf, he has to be healthy enough to be able to coach for at least one, if not a couple more seasons, right?

Sounds like it.

“I’m missing being able to get around,” Williams added. “I’ve got a cane. I can walk OK, but the cane, the doctor said, ‘if you have that, people realize there’s something wrong with you and they give you a little space.’ Last year, I hurt every day. At practice, I never sat down on a basketball court in 43 years until this past season.”

“It’s going to be better.”