Recently, Grant Williams has faced criticism for what is thought to be a poor locker room demeanor. The fifth-year veteran’s image in the NBA was severely tarnished by his terrible stint with the Dallas Mavericks. Legendary play-by-play announcer Mike Gorman mentioned how Williams had been a poor presence in Boston during his time there in a recent appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Gorman said of him, “He was annoying.” “Everyone found him obnoxious, and it became old fast. Of course, in Dallas, it got old fast. He’s not excellent enough for teams to decide, “We’re going to keep him here because he’s a great player,” in spite of this. He isn’t. He’s an extra. If you’re a horrible guy in the locker room and you’re the eighth or ninth player, you won’t stay there for very long because you won’t be playing for the team.”
Gorman’s remarks been widely shared on social media. Thus, Jayson Tatum of the Celtics defended his old teammate.
Grant Williams= Great teammate! https://t.co/JYHCavRNC3
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) March 13, 2024
Williams has now voiced his opinions on the gossip that is currently circulating about his character and influence in the locker room. He mentioned that he still gets along well with a number of his former teammates. Additionally, he expressed gratitude to Tatum for his public support, noting that the All-Star forward had not been invited to take part in the conversation.
Williams responded to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, “Yeah, that meant the world.” To be honest, I never even asked him. it’s why it was even more awesome, and I had to give him my sincere gratitude because it will always be my puppy. And every one of those Boston-area males is…You have no influence over what other people do or say about you in public. You are limited to concentrating on your current areas of true involvement. My current objectives are to just keep strengthening my relationship with this group, expanding the Hornets franchise overall, and having an impact on victory.
At the trade deadline on February 8, Williams was moved to the Charlotte Hornets after a difficult stint with the Mavericks. On the court, he has already started to establish himself, and it is obvious that he is adjusting well to his new surroundings.
Williams was a key rotation player for the Celtics during two runs to the Eastern Conference Finals and one trip to the NBA Finals. He didn’t leave the team in a horrible way, either. His assistance in arranging a sign-and-trade agreement prevented Boston from losing a key player for nothing.
It will now be up to Williams to pull together several seasons of consistent play coupled with minimal off-court problems in order to restore his standing in the NBA. Regretfully, rumors start to circulate when a trade goes awry. He now has to concentrate on establishing himself as a valuable leader in the locker room and on the court.