Monty Williams knows about landscapes. He remembers that his grandfather made his living as a landscaper in Fredericksburg, Va., earning $6 an hour.

"It was never about the money," Williams was saying yesterday, after invoking his $1 million option to remain with the 76ers before last night's midnight deadline.

"He did what he had to do. He was my hero. I never had heroes like Julius Erving or Michael Jordan growing up. I had my grandfather. He did what he had to do. This was what he knew."

The 6-8 Williams, preparing to start his 10th season in the NBA, knows about the landscape of his profession. He sat out two seasons at Notre Dame because of a heart problem. He listened to all the people who told him he would go higher, then went No. 24 to New York in the first round of the 1994 draft.

The Sixers are his fifth team; he joined them eagerly as a free agent last summer, then was limited to just 21 games because of a variety of injuries.