Jamaal Tinsley, a guard for Indiana of the NBA, was among a group of people who were shot at early the morning of Dec. 9 near a hotel in Indianapolis. Tinsley was not injured.

Former Duke standout Shelden Williams of the Atlanta Hawks was the victim of a carjacking Dec. 15.

"Thank God he was not hurt," Atlanta teammate and former UNC star Marvin Williams said. "He was so blessed to come out uninjured. But it was definitely a scary moment to see that happen to your teammate."

Marvin Williams, part of the University of North Carolina's 2005 NCAA title team, knows a bit about the ups and downs of the sporting life.

Picked No. 2 in the NBA draft after just one year of college ball, and without starting at UNC, Williams has lived quietly in Georgia with a cousin and high school friend from Washington state since his rookie year in the pros. He says having roommates brings stability to his life.

"They are there every night, whether I play great or not," Williams said recently. He added that having roommates means it is less likely he has to be out on non-game nights.

The Atlanta power forward said he has not changed his lifestyle due to recent violence involving pro athletes.

"I really don't do much off the court anyway," said Williams, who took summer classes at UNC in 2006 and 2007.

On the court, Williams has made significant strides this season as a third-year player. In games through Feb. 7 he was averaging 35.8 minutes, 16.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 44 outings. He cooled off slightly in the last 30 days, down to 14.9 ppg and 1.7 assists, as the Hawks have struggled.

Williams, 6-feet-9, scored in double figures in the first 12 games of the season, the longest stretch of his career. He tied his career best with 26 points against Miami on Dec. 19, a game in which he also had 10 rebounds and played 50 minutes in an overtime contest. The next game he had 22 points as Atlanta won in Washington.

"I am playing as hard as I can and it has been working out for me," Williams said. "Guys have been doing a good job of finding me for open shots."

Williams always has been regarded as an unselfish player, and notably was the only Tar Heel between 1994 and 2008 to average double-figure scoring without starting in the first five (Danny Green averages 11.4 points per game this season). Despite coming off the bench, he was the ACC rookie of the year in 2004-05, his only season in Chapel Hill. In the 2005 NCAA title game against Illinois, his tip-in with 1:26 left to play broke a 70-70 tie, and UNC went on to win 75-70.

He and coach Roy Williams ended up on the cover of the 2K Sports "College Hoops" basketball video game in 2005.

Williams' rookie year got off to a bad start when he fractured the third metacarpal of his left hand during a pre-season practice with the Hawks on Oct. 26, 2006. That injury caused Williams to miss the first 17 games of the season, and he missed another game later in the season due to a back problem.

This season, Williams, who turns 22 in June, missed a game Nov. 28 with a right hip sprain. But that was the only contest he missed because of injury this season for the Hawks.

Williams was one of several Tar Heels who left UNC early after winning the NCAA title. Quentin Thomas is the only player left on the team who was a member of the 2005 championship squad.

Obviously, the relationship between Hawks and Heels is still on good footing. Larry Drew Jr., the son of Hawks assistant coach Larry Drew, has committed to play for UNC next season. He plays for Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Calif.

"He is going to be a great point guard" for the Tar Heels, Williams said. Did Williams play a role in getting Drew to commit to UNC?

"Coach (Roy) Williams did all of the work," said Marvin Williams, with a grin. "The kid can pass the ball. He will have a great career there."