It turns out things may not have always been pleasant between Boston Celtics and former first-round pick Grant Williams. Celtics color commentator Mike Gorman explained why those in the Celtics locker room weren’t too fond of Williams.
When he appeared on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Hardy,” Gorman explained why Williams was not a good presence in the Celtics’ locker room.
“He was annoying to everybody. I think, initially, everybody thought he was kind of a wise ass, but he’s kind of cute, and he’s kind of funny. Then it just kind of wore thin. It got thin in Dallas, obviously. If you start to take on (Luka) Doncic, obviously, you’re not going to be around for long.”
Gorman added why Williams’ annoying tendencies work against him.
“So yeah, he had some issues in that area (that) if he doesn’t get rid of, he doesn’t have enough for teams to say, ‘Well okay, but despite that, we’re going to keep him here because he’s a great player.’ He’s not. He’s an extra. 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.”
After agreeing to a four-year, $53 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks, Williams played 47 games before they traded him to the Hornets.
Michael Finley Reveals Grant Williams-Luka Doncic Spat
Ex-Celtic and Mavericks assistant general manager Michael Finley revealed a practice skirmish between Williams and Doncic on 105.3 The FAN on March 11.
“One day in practice, a player on our team, I won’t call his name out — but it’s Grant Williams. He decided he wanted to get under Luka’s skin. He felt Luka didn’t come that day ready to practice. To make a long story short, they had a scrimmage going on, and he was talking trash to Luka up and down the court. So finally, Luka says ‘Okay,” and Luka went on a 26-6 run by himself. You can ask anybody, I’m not exaggerating. He showed everything, the 3s, the postups, the floaters, everything by himself.”
Finley added how amazed everyone was with Doncic.
“Everybody on the sidelines, including the coaches said do not poke the bear. That’s what everybody kept saying, do not poke the bear. We had guests in the gym at the time, and they were on the sidelines oohing and ahhing. It was unbelievable. I was over there and the kid couldn’t miss. I’m not talking easy shots, he was showing the whole repertoire in this five or six minute span. It was a 26-6 run by himself.”
Finley did not confirm if this factored into why the Mavericks got rid of Williams.
Grant Williams Trade Called ‘Massive Whiff’
After the Mavericks traded Grant Williams to the Hornets, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon explained on the February 9 episode of “The Hoop Collective” that he considered the acquisition a “massive whiff.”
“They were determined to dump him,” MacMahon said. “Not just about getting PJ Washington. They wanted to be out of the Grant Williams business. He rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. He switched from Lukas to Tatums recently, by the way, his shoe selection.”
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