The story “Grant Williams is disappointed that there is no tribute video during his TD Garden comeback” first aired on NBC Sports Boston. After making his TD Garden comeback last month, former Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams was not impressed.
On April 12, Williams made his first trip back to Boston as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, following his departure from the C’s in the previous summer. During the first quarter, the Celtics briefly displayed him on the video board with the words, “Welcome back, Grant Williams.”
The Garden crowd gave Williams an applause, but it was a fleeting recognition of his existence without a visual ode to him. In a recent episode of “The Cedric Maxwell Podcast,” Williams expressed his hope for additional 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 is currently a member of the Memphis Grizzlies—was the only former Celtic to receive a memorial film. When Robert Williams, the former center for the Celtics, returned to TD Garden with the Portland Trail Blazers, he requested that the club forego the memorial film. When Boston hosted Portland on April 7, the Celtics promptly recognized Robert Williams on the video board alongside fellow former C’s Malcolm Brogdon and Dalano Banton.
Grant Williams is disappointed, but he has no animosity toward 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.
Williams was chosen by the Celtics with the No. 22 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, coming out of Tennessee. Throughout his four seasons with 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 greatest memory with the C’s was his 27-point explоsiоn in Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, which helped Boston win.
In July, Williams was dealt by Boston to the Dallas Mavericks. He was sent from the Mavericks to the Hornets prior to the February NBA trade deadline.