"I went back-and-forth a lot," Williams added. "It was a really tough decision for me. It took a lot of debating, a lot of talking."

And now that talk turns elsewhere.

"Hopefully we can accomplish a lot in ... eight years," Williams said, "and then I still have a chance to re-sign with the Jazz after that if things are going well."

What Williams ultimately hopes to accomplish, of course, is what his predecessors, including John Stockton and Karl Malone, have not.

"My main goal is to win a championship here — something that hasn't been done for this organization," Williams said.

Nothing would make Sloan happier.

Friday's happenings, though, had the tough-to-please Jazz coach smiling.

"He (Williams) has exceeded our expectations by the way he's worked and the way he's led our team, and the things he's been able to do," the Jazz coach said. "I can't say enough about it."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com