Gucci Mane finally linked up with his doppelgänger, NBA referee James Williams.
The Atlanta rapper attended the playoff game between the Cleveland Cavs and the Miami Heat on Tuesday (April 29), and posted a picture on Instagram of himself and Williams having a courtside chat.
Back in 2021, NBA superstar Ja Morant reshared a photo of himself and Williams posted by the NBA’s Latin America X page, writing, “Me & Gucci,” and it went viral. And ever since, Williams said fans and players only refer to him as “Gucci or Guwop.”
“I am Gucci Mane, at this point that’s who I am,” Williams told the Crown Refs podcast back in 2023. “I’m actually shocked when somebody on the floor calls me James. Nobody calls me James, everybody calls me Gucci or Guwop.”
He continued by saying that he doesn’t take it seriously and actually finds the situation funny. “I’ve really just embraced it. I think that it humanizes us,” he said. “Referees who are just the cops out there, I’m not a big fan of ’cause that’s not how I referee. I like to go out there, I like to have fun; engage the fans, the players, the coaches. While we have a job to do, you should still have fun while you’re doing it.”
He added, “Once that thing went viral, just like my life has been completely altered forever. It’s a part of who I am at this point. Nobody calls me James, it’s really quite comical to be honest with you.”
He then told a funny story about a time when he was in Chicago catching a flight and a random youth basketball team wanted to take a picture with him. “The other day I was in O’Hare and there was a basketball team walking through,” he recalled. “I’m walking to my gate and they’re like, ‘That’s the Gucci Mane ref. Can we get a picture?’ I think it’s funny, I really do. I don’t take myself too seriously. We get to referee a kid’s game for a living.”
Williams has been in regular rotation during the NBA playoffs this year, so fans will be seeing more of Gucci Mane’s twin reffing games.
