Grant Williams ‘disappointed’ with no tribute video at TD Garden return originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Former Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams was disappointed by his return to TD Garden last month.
As a member of the Charlotte Hornets on April 12, Williams returned to Boston for the first time since the C’s parted ways with him last summer. The Celtics briefly showed him on the video board during the first quarter with a message that read, “Welcome back, Grant Williams.”
Williams received a standing ovation from the Garden crowd, but it was a quick acknowledgment of his presence that did not include a video tribute. During a recent episode of “The Cedric Maxwell Podcast”, Williams admitted he hoped there would be more.
“I was like, ‘Dang.’ I thought, ‘I’m not getting any love,'” she said. “Was I a little disappointed? Yes. Simply because I feel like there were great years in the four years I was there. “I was a kid that was drafted there and I was a kid that grew up there and hopefully I was able to go through a lot of things that helped them get to the point where they are now.”
Marcus Smart, now with the Memphis Grizzlies, was the only ex-Celtic in receive a tribute video this season. Former Celtics center Robert Williams asked the team to skip the tribute video when he returned to TD Garden with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Celtics quickly recognized Robert Williams on the video board along with fellow former C’s Malcolm Brogdon and Dalano Banton when Boston hosted Portland on April 7.
Despite his disappointment, Grant Williams harbors no hard feelings against the Celtics organization.
“I think it’s because when Rob (Williams) told them he just wanted a hello or thank you or something like that,” Williams added. “They gave the video to Smart and I have to respect that. Smart was there for eight years and had a real impact on the city, the organization and everything else. As much as he was involved in the community and loved Boston and the organization, I think they were just trying to be consistent with what they did before.”
The Celtics selected Williams out of Tennessee with the 22nd pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The 25-year-old averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor ( 37.7 percent from three) in four seasons with Boston. His most memorable moment with the C’s came in Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals, when he led Boston to victory with a 27-point explosion against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Boston traded Williams to the Dallas Mavericks in July. The Mavs dealt him to the Hornets before the NBA trade deadline in February.