Jayson Williams said he was "being a coward" on the night he shot his limo driver to death and tried to cover it up out of "selfishness."
In an interview with "60 Minutes Sports," that airs Tuesday on Showtime, the former New Jersey Nets All-Star said he remains sober in a Florida rehab facility while he deals daily with the death of Gus Christofi in 2002.
"[There is] nothing I can do or say to bring Mr. Christofi back," Williams said in the interview. "If there was, I would do it. The cover-up was selfishness ... me trying to protect myself."
Williams was giving Christofi a tour of his mansion when the former Nets player was showing a shotgun that he thought was unloaded but that went off and killed Christofi. Williams was convicted on four counts of covering up the shooting but was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter.
Williams pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. He served an 18-month prison sentence before also serving another eight-month sentence for driving under the influence. He was released in April 2012.
Williams later drank heavily, saying at his lowest moments that he would down "a fifth of moonshine" daily. He spent a month at Epiphany, a rehabilitation center in Florida, before deciding to stay there to help others as a volunteer.
"I've quit trying to protect myself," Williams said. "I just try to live right and let the pieces fall where they may."
"That's my only job -- to be sober," added Williams, who also is speaking out to help encourage opioid drug addicts seek help. "Be sober. That's my only job, just to be sober."