:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/6181077/20120323_jtl_sn3_460.jpg)
Shelden Williams and his wife, WNBA great Candace Parker, have a three-year-old daughter, Lailaa, who's a bit of a basketball celebrity herself. As ESPN-W reports, she often thinks those autograph seekers pursuing Mom in L.A. or Ekaterinaburg or Dad in New Jersey also would like to meet her as well. So, she often offers her hand as a greeting.
That poise is no accident. It's the product of a complex relationship that relies on mutual understanding of professional demands as well as a healthy dose of technology. Parker is proud that she's never spent a night away from her daughter even when she is playing in Russia during the WNBA off-season. So when Lailaa has been in Russia with Mom, Dad regularly calls via Skype.
It's part of his deal as a Dad. "I'm different than a lot of dads. I don't see how these guys cannot be around their kids," Williams said recently. "They take it for granted how accessible their kids are."
-
2012 Father's Day: Brooklyn Nets' Shelden Williams an all-star daddy - Adena Andrews - ESPN W