It was a spin move that shocked, surprised and delighted the Japanese audience -- and even some of Jason Williams' teammates. The setting was a reception last week in Tokyo honoring business people responsible for bringing the Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves to Japan for two NBA games. As the players were introduced, Williams stepped forward and twirled like an acrobat. He broke up the crowd and showed a side of himself few knew he possessed away from the basketball court.

As he begins his second professional season, Williams has gained international fame for his leaps and flourishes and outrageous behind-the-back passes. At the same time, he has maintained an entirely different personality beyond the arena.

While off duty, Williams is quiet, even shy, showing almost none of the flair that has made him one of the hottest young properties to hit the NBA in years.

He often seems oblivious to his notoriety. He has been criticized for failing to appear at various public functions, including a preseason parade to honor the Kings last month in downtown Sacramento. After the playoffs ended for the Kings last May, Williams left dozens of fans bewildered at Sacramento International Airport when he virtually ran from them, speeding away in his car rather than dealing with joyous fans.

The road from his humble beginnings in West Virginia and Florida to international stardom has been bumpy for the point guard.

"Before I got to the NBA, the most reporters I'd ever talked to at one time was three," Williams said. "I only played in 17 games at Florida and none of them meant anything, like a tournament or anything. I played in one postseason tournament and that was the Southern Conference, my first year at Marshall. And then, nobody knew who I was but the coach and the team."

Things have changed.

Williams could appear on the cover of more style and fashion magazines during the next six months than actors tabbed for Oscar nominations. And his jersey is said to be the league's hottest seller. Rapper Sean "Puffy" Combs sports one just to be cool.

But Williams was just 22 years old when his rookie season began. He won't turn 23 until a week from today, and certain facts about him haven't changed.

That makes Williams a young man with little experience in the ways of the world beyond basketball.

The struggle was clear on Williams' face as he endured interview sessions with Japanese reporters in Tokyo.

"At first, I hated doing things like that," he said. "First of all, all y'all pretty much ask the same questions.

"At first, I tried to really explain myself and give really good answers. But now, I just try to get right to the point. And though there might be a lot of people in the room, I try to act as if it's a one-on-one talk."

The NBA is full of young millionaires unaccustomed to the world outside of sports. But many NBA athletes have the experience to at least act worldly. They were exposed to the public and media pressures while playing for major-college programs.

Kings forward Corliss Williamson attended Arkansas, an NCAA power where the spotlight was something players became accustomed to in a hurry.

"I can imagine what it's like for him," Williamson said. "Whereas for me, it was something I dealt with coming up, he's being thrown into it all of a sudden. And it's not like in college, where you're talking about a tournament or something. He has the attention of the whole world as we saw in Japan. It's probably a shock for him."

Williams admits he's shy.

"Now, I might be loud and wild around my friends in the hotel room," he said, "but in the hotel around some people I don't know, I'm not going to be like that. I don't think people know who I really am and that's partly because I don't let them know."

Teammate Chris Webber said Williams has displayed an ability to shut down his personality.

"I don't know if people ever see the real Jason," Webber said of the player he says is his best friend on the team. "He acts one way around us, but then I think he's afraid that if he allows everybody to see that side of him, people might become disrespectful or think that they are closer to him than they really are.

"So he has a professional side that he shows when he's dealing with the media, and then there is the truly real side of him when he just acts like himself."

Williamson said Williams' free-wheeling creativity often is more than he can take.

"Oh, he's the funniest guy on the team, by far," Williamson said. "By far, it's him, because some of the things he says never could even cross your mind."

There is little middle ground with Williams. He plays hard, jokes hard and laughs hard. The passion in his game is mirrored by the passion he has for enjoying life.

Said Williamson, "I'd like to see Jason go on stage."

The Tokyo spin move might have been the opening act.