Jayson Williams learned the hard way that driving under the influence of alcohol is a one-way ticket to citations, suspended license and, in Williams case, a one year jail sentence.

Williams has been serving his time at the Eric M. Taylor Center in East Elmhurst, N.Y. and is scheduled for release on April 15.

Granted, Williams had a string of charges stemming from an accidental shooting at his mansion, which included a charge of aggravated assault. But the DUI came later. In 2010, while Williams was on bail, police received a report that a Mercedes-Benz SUV had hit a tree on FDR Drive in Manhattan late at night. When police arrived they found Williams sitting in the passenger’s seat. He told police someone else was driving, but no one else was in the vehicle.

As a result of that arrest Williams was sentenced to the maximum term of up to one year for DUI. He started serving that time after he was released from prison in New Jersey in August 2011 on charges related to the accidental shooting. Not only did he get fines and fees and jail time, he was also ordered by the judge to pay to replace the tree he crashed into, which cost more than $16,000.

New York Defensive Drivers know the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They arrange for a designated driver if they plan on drinking, or just hand their keys to the bartender if the drinking started unexpectedly. There is no excuse for getting behind the wheel of a 4,000 pound missile made of steel and glass and plastic and trying to navigate busy city streets (the streets are always busy in New York) just so they can get home. It is beyong negligent to drive intoxicated whether you are an NBA star or just some guy who had a late night out with his friends.

So just don’t do it.