The article “Grant Williams is disappointed that there is no tribute video during his TD Garden comeback” first appeared on NBC Sports Boston. Grant Williams, a former Boston Celtics player, was unimpressed after returning to the TD Garden last month.
Williams returned to Boston for the first time as a member of the Charlotte Hornets on April 12, after leaving the Celtics the previous summer. During the first quarter, the Celtics briefly flashed him on the video board, saying, “Welcome back, Grant Williams.”
The Garden crowd applauded Williams, but it was a momentary recognition of his existence, with no visible tribute to him. In a recent episode of “The Cedric Maxwell Podcast,” Williams voiced his desire for more episodes.
“I thought, ‘Dang.’” “I felt like I’m not getting any love,” he remarked. “Did I feel a little let down? Yes. merely because I believe that throughout my four years there, there were some really wonderful years. I was a young person who was drafted there, raised there, and perhaps experienced many things that enabled them to reach their current state.
This season, Marcus Smart, who now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, was the only former Celtic to receive a tribute film. When Robert Williams, the Celtics’ former center, returned to TD Garden with the Portland Trail Blazers, he requested that the club skip the memorial film. When Boston hosted Portland on April 7, the Celtics immediately recognized Robert Williams on the video board, with fellow former Celtics Malcolm Brogdon and Dalano Banton.
Grant Williams is upset, but he has no ill will against the Celtics franchise.
“I believe it’s because Rоb [Williams] told them he just wаnted a bow, or a thank you, or something,” Williams continued. “I have to show respect for Smart because they gave him the video.” During his eight years there, Smart made a significant impact on the organization, the city, and everything else. As much as I loved Boston and the organization, and as much as I was involved in the community, I believe they were just trying to stick to their previous practices.
The Celtics selected Williams with the No. 22 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, coming out of Tennessee. During his four seasons in Boston, the 25-year-old averaged 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 45.1 percent from the field (37.7 percent from three). His most memorable performance with the Celtics was a 27-point explosion in Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, which helped Boston win.
In July, Williams was traded from Boston to the Dallas Mavericks. He was traded from the Mavericks to the Hornets before the NBA’s February trade deadline.