Grant Williams didn’t get off on the right foot with the Boston Celtics in 2019.
In fact, Williams thought he lost all interest in the matter of a few hours.
While undergoing the pre-draft process, the Celtics hosted Williams for a workout. Boston ran the Tennessee product through various drills and scrimmages, in which Williams (as expected) impressed with his outside shooting abilities. But… in hopes of leaving an impression, Williams went a tad overboard which he thought cost him his chances of landing in Boston on draft night.
“In my Boston workout, I’m working out, playing well, you know. I was shooting the ball great, everything else. It was a competitive workout,” Williams explained on the ‘Run Your Race’ podcast. “We get to scrimagging. … My know-it-all (expletive) is like, ‘I got a play.’ I grab the clipboard, draw up a play, it works. I’m lit, right? So next thing you know, they’re going with a different defense, so (Anthony Dobbins) started to think of a play again. And I’m like, ‘I got something.’ Take the clipboard again, draw up a play, that (expletive) don’t work. Probably the worst play draw you’ve ever seen.”
Showing out on the court is one thing, but to step on the assistant coach’s toes fresh out of college? That’s a recipe for a storm that many prospects likely wouldn’t survive at any level of sports, much less the NBA. Williams also mentioned Boston was coming the post-Kyrie Irving saga, which wasn’t great timing for him either.
The Celtics, however, didn’t hold it against Williams, selecting the then-21-year-old with the 22nd overall pick in the draft. They also developed Williams into a serviceable 3-and-D player off the bench, keeping him in Boston’s reserve unit rotation for four seasons before landing a $54 million payday with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason.
But… that didn’t come without Williams hearing it from the Celtics first.
“I get cursed out by Jay Larranaga after,” Williams revealed. “Literally. ‘Don’t you ever think you’re smarter than a coach.’ … So I’m like, ‘Well, I’m not going to Boston.’ And Boston’s known to do a three-minute drill at the end. 1-on-1’s before we do a three-minute drill, I sprain my ankle — pretty badly. And Danny (Ainge) walks from upstairs and says, ‘Hey Grant, you don’t have to run.’ … I think that’s the only reason why they drafted me. Cause I was like, ‘(Expletive) that, Danny.’”
Williams will meet Boston, this time as a Celtics foe, for the first time on Jan. 22 next season in Dallas with the Mavericks.
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