Mikey's uncle and father say no one in the family has gotten paid by social media companies or by companies that Mikey has worked with. Last fall, Williams modeled for a new clothing line launched by rapper Drake and Niko, a popular Japanese designer.
"Where's the money at," Mahlon Williams said with a laugh. "When people say that, they're saying, 'If I'm in that position, that's what I would be doing.' People don't understand it. A lot of these companies, the reality of it is they know these kids can't get paid because they will mess up their NCAA eligibility. That's when they want kids to promote stuff. As soon as it's time to get paid, they don't want them to promote anymore.
"I tell Mike, 'This is your life, and you have to build your portfolio.' Let's say five people say to Mike, 'We want you to do this' and you build enough relationship with one of them, so when it's time to get paid, they say, 'We know you have been loyal to the brand.' That's who we want to do business with."
And yes, the father and uncle realize what all this could be doing to Mikey. They worry that he may be losing some part of his childhood. They know that after every game he plays, or every picture or tweet he posts, he's being judged, literally, by millions of people. Mikey's game is torn apart like a professional almost daily. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that he just started driving and he's got two years of high school left.
"He's a 16-year-old kid that can't do anything wrong," McCain said. "People forget because he's a mature young man and handles it well. He doesn't ever let you see him sweat and for him to be able to do that is amazing. But I know it does get to him sometimes. Sometimes, we'll be in the store and he'll say 'Uncle Pat, can I get the keys?' and he'll go sit in the car. Sometimes you don't want to sign an autograph or take a picture. I think that's why celebrities take to him. He doesn't look at them like celebrities. He thinks they are regular people and he's a regular person. I mean, he's got an extraordinary talent, but in his mind, he's just a regular kid."
And that, deep down, is what Mikey wants — to be regular.
"I don't really like everybody looking at me all the time," he said. "I don't really like all the attention all the time, so I really try to be low-key. If I want to go to the mall, I make sure I've got my boys with me. I'll be three to four deep, so I've got people with me. People that know how this stuff goes. I mean, I can be at the mall, but I've got to pick certain times when nobody's really there or the mall's about to close. But if I go during the day, I go with three or four of my friends. It's just kind of become normal now."
When it comes to basketball, Williams is clear about his destination. He wants to play in the NBA. But he also talks about going to college.
Last July, Williams released his top 10 list. It included five HBCU schools — N.C. Central, Alabama State, Texas Southern, Hampton and Tennessee State — along with Kansas, Southern California, Memphis, Arizona State and San Diego State. Williams said that list still stands although he has picked up offers from LSU and Nevada.
He also said the possibility of going to an HBCU is real.
"I'm definitely thinking about going to an HBCU," he said. "You know, even if something were to happen where I had a better opportunity to provide for my family, I'm still going to do something for an HBCU whether that's through investing or sponsoring. I'm going to be tied in with them for sure."
But college, or whatever comes next, is still two years away.
Williams has been targeted by a high school league, started by Brooklyn-based Overtime, that seeks to pay top high school players six figures to play in the fall.
"I didn't know anything about it when it came out," Williams said. "I didn't know what was going on. I'm clueless. I haven't talked to anybody. As of right now, I'm focused on the season."
Williams has a sister, Skye, who is a 14-year-old freshman who is nationally ranked in softball. She lives in California with her mother and has scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Washington State, Washington and UCLA. Marvin, 13, lives in Charlotte with Mikey and his father. He's a basketball player.
When it comes down to it, Mahlon Williams said, what he wants is the same thing for all his kids — a college education.
"Whatever happens after that is icing on the cake," Mahlon Williams said. "If some are fortunate enough to bypass college (after high school) and do something else and come back to college, well, a lot of people do that. You go to the (NBA), one-and-done, and promise your mother and your father that 'I'll get my education.' But education is huge for me and their mother."
If college is the best path to the NBA, that's the route Williams will take.
It doesn't matter to him if he's the No. 1 player in his class or the No. 1 pick in the draft.
"I've got an end-goal. And as long as I get to the league, I don't care if they take me off the whole ranking. It doesn't matter to me," he said.
For now, he'll keep working. Rebounding. Scoring. Stealing another highlight for everyone watching on their phones.
And maybe, somewhere in between, he'll take a short breather and get to be a kid.
