Grant Williams was referred to as a “bad locker room guy” by Boston Celtics TV analyst Mike Gorman. It’s a claim Williams doesn’t quite understand.
During a May appearance on “The Cedric Maxwell Podcast,” Williams said he understands that his goofiness isn’t for everybody, and he rubs some people the wrong way. In fact, he pointed out that former Celtics center Daniel Theis hated him when they first got together. Williams, now a member of the Charlotte Hornets, says Theis is now one of his closest friends.
Grant Williams Said Daniel Theis ‘Used To Treat Me Wrong’
Williams played a key role for the Celtics during their run to the 2022 NBA Finals. He played sound defense on Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. During Game 7 of that series, he led all scorers with a career-high 27 points that included seven 3-pointers in Boston’s 109-81 victory.
In 2023, the Celtics traded Williams to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team sign-and-trade deal, with Boston netting multiple second-round draft picks. In March 2024, Gorman, while speaking on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Hardy,” called out Williams.
“He’s an extra,” Gorman said. “An eighth, ninth, or tenth guy on your roster, so those guys are very replaceable. The guy’s a bad locker room guy. If you’re a bad locker room guy, you’re an eighth or ninth guy, you’re not going to be the eighth or ninth guy for long because you’re not going to be on the team for long.”
On Maxwell’s podcast, Williams said he doesn’t know where that stems from, although he said Theis hated him during Williams’ rookie season.
“Being a bad teammate is something I never want to be called,” Williams said. “I try my best to be there for my teammates in whatever capacity possible. Yeah, sometimes I will acknowledge that I get annoying or get some level of ‘Shut up Grant. We’ve got to focus on this.’ And I accept that. I know my personality and my goofiness is not for everybody.
“I remember Theis. This is the perfect example. Theis hated me, I think, when I first got to Boston. Hated me. He’d always tell me to shut up and stuff like that. We went to a couple of dinners, and he started getting comfortable around me. Now, he’s one of my closest friends.
“I always tease him like, I remember back in the day, you used to treat me wrong as a rookie, and it wasn’t because I was a rookie. He was like, ‘Yeah, I couldn’t stand you.’”
Williams Appreciated His Celtics Teammates Sticking Up for Him After Gorman’s Comments
After Gorman made his comments, Celtics star Jayson Tatum stuck of for Williams, taking to social media and saying Williams was a good teammate. That’s something that has stuck with Williams.
“That was special when he did that,” Williams said of Tatum. “I didn’t even ask him to do that. Just sent him a text afterwards, like I appreciate you. I think D-White spoke up about it as well.
“I still keep in contact with my teammates from my rookie season. Still talk to Carsen (Edwards) and Tacko (Fall), and I try to reach out to everybody because we’re all brothers at the end of the day.”
Williams, a first-round pick out of Tennessee in 2019, spent the first four years of his NBA career with the Celtics. He averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds.
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