Disgraced former NBA superstar Jayson Williams is a free man again -- the 44-year-old was officially released from Rikers Island jail this morning.

Williams completed 8 months of his 1-year sentence ... stemming from a DUI arrest in 2010.

TMZ broke the story ... Jayson's blood alcohol level was .24 -- 3 times the legal limit -- and cops say he swerved across four lanes of traffic before striking a tree in NYC.

Before his stint at Rikers, Williams served 18 months in Wrightstown, NJ for aggravated assault and obstructing justice ... as part of a plea deal he accepted in the 2002 shooting death of his limo driver.

Tanya Williams, the estranged wife of incarcerated former NBA star Jayson Williams, will not be back for season 2 of "Basketball Wives: LA" ... in fact, she wasn't even invited to the reunion show!

Sources close to the production tell TMZ ... Tanya never fit in with the rest of the girls, who often didn't know what to talk to Tanya about.

Tanya filmed enough material for the entire season ... but we're told producers decided to phase her out after the first few episodes and did not invite her to partake in the reunion episode, which airs next week.

Williams tells us producers informed her manager they did not want to "move forward" with the relationship. She says the split is amicable, telling us, "I wish everyone involved continued success with the show."

Calls to VH1 were not returned.

For former NBA star Jayson Williams, doing hard time is like a trip to Disneyland -- at least that's what his estranged wife thinks of Williams' now extended sentence.


Tanya Williams hit up an L.A. mall on Friday where she said Jayson thinks his current prison sentence for the accidental shooting of his limo driver is "the best five years of his life" -- and added that Jayson doesn't talk to the two daughters they have together.

Shortly before we taped Tanya, Jayson pled guilty to DWI in New York City -- a move that got him an additional year behind bars. Tanya filed for divorce last year, but it's still pending.

Update: A rep for Jayson tells TMZ, "Jayson has made numerous attempts to talk to his daughters and has written them. If she is allowing them to speak to him is to be questioned."

Former NBA star Jayson Williams just got sentenced to a year behind bars for his DWI case ... but that sentence will have to wait until AFTER he finishes his current 5 years hard time for the shooting death of his limo driver.



Williams was arrested for DWI back in January after he slammed his Mercedes-Benz into a tree in New York City.

Moments ago in Manhattan Criminal Court, Williams -- through his lawyer -- plead guilty to DWI and was slapped with the 1-year sentence, and he also has to pay $16,643 for the tree he hit.

Less than two months after the DWI, Williams began serving his five year sentence for the 2002 limo driver shooting.

At 6'10" tall and 260 lbs., Jayson Williams is a big man ... and he has the nickname to go with it.



TMZ has obtained Williams' new mug shot from the New Jersey Department of Corrections. In addition to listing his vital stats, an alias is listed for Williams -- "Big Daddy."

That should make him real popular in jail.

Former NBA star Jayson Williams was taken to the clink this week after being sentenced to 5 years behind bars -- but there's an upside: The place has a b-ball hoop he can use to get in with the cool kids.



Jayson was shipped off to Hunterdon County Correctional Facility in New Jersey on Monday -- but we're told it's only a temporary home for Williams until he's transferred to more permanent quarters.

Williams has to serve at least 18 months behind bars before he's eligible for parole -- so hopefully the next place has a hoops court too.

Former NBA star Jayson Williams was just sentenced to five years in prison for the 2002 shooting death of his limo driver, Costas Christofi, and will be available for parole after 18 months.



During the hearing, Christofi's sister held up a photo of him, while a rep for the family stood up and said Jayson had never apologized to the family for killing Christofi. The rep begged the judge to make Jayson serve all five years in prison without probation.

Jayson eventually stood up, teary-eyed, and apologized to them ... along with his own family, church and the NBA.

Jayson was eventually handcuffed and taken out of the courtroom. We're told he'll be taken to the Hunterdon County Correctional Facility ... where he could remain for weeks until he's moved to his permanent lodging.

We were live inside Somerset County Courthouse in New Jersey during Jayson's sentencing this morning, below are the highlights from the hearing ... video to follow.

UPDATE 9:35 AM ET: It has begun. The prosecutor just asked the judge to sentence Jayson to 5 years behind bars with a minimum of 18 months with parole. The prosecutor told the judge Jayson has a "dark side."

Click here... it's not over yet

Former NBA star Jayson Williams will have four days to drown his sorrows before heading to prison next week ... because the alcohol monitoring bracelet is coming off.

Jayson's lawyer, Linda Kenny-Baden, tells TMZ the SCRAM bracelet he was ordered to wear after his DUI bust last month will come off on Friday.

But Jayson's bracelet isn't being 86'd for a good reason. He's being sentenced to prison on Tuesday over the death of his limo driver -- and the bracelet has to come off before he goes to the pokey.

It must Absolut-ly suck to be Jayson.

Jayson Williams is allegedly the victim of a crime -- for a change -- after a report says his home was broken into and a slew of sports memorabilia, electronics and jewelry were stolen.

Among the items allegedly stolen from Williams' South Carolina home, says the NY Post, were were a pair of Tiger Woods' shoes autographed by Woods himself, shorts signed by basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain, and a handwritten lyric sheet by rapper Tupac Shakur.

It's unclear when exactly the alleged incident occurred, though the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office did confirm to the paper they were investigating a burglary at the home.

Williams recently pled guilty to aggravated assault for the 2002 shooting of Costas Christofi. He will serve at least 18 months in prison.

Jayson Williams' blood alcohol level was .24 -- 3 times the legal limit -- when he crashed his SUV last week ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Williams was arrested for DWI after his vehicle swerved across four lanes of traffic before striking a tree in NYC early Tuesday morning.

Williams fractured his neck in the accident. He was arraigned in the hospital.

Former NBA star Jayson Williams -- who is being retried for allegedly killing his limo driver -- dodged a bullet himself by copping a plea.



Williams, who was being retried for reckless manslaughter in the death of Costas Christofi at his New Jersey estate in 2002, has plead guilty to the lesser count of aggravated assault.

Williams (seen above leaving court today) had been tried previously, but the case had ended up with a hung jury. The retrial was pending.

UPDATE: Williams has agreed to serve at least 18 months in prison.