Grant Williams

Grant Williams: biography

Grant Dean Williams is an American professional basketball player currently affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Prior to his NBA career, Williams played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Childhood and youth

Grant Dean Williams was born on November 30, 1998 in Houston, Texas, but he relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina during his childhood. He attended Providence Day School in Charlotte, where he had the opportunity to play alongside future NBA player Devon Dotson. During his junior year in the 2014-2015 season, Williams displayed impressive statistics, averaging 18 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, contributing to the Chargers' solid 25-5 overall record. In his senior year, he continued to excel, maintaining averages of 15.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game.

Although he was rated as a three-star recruit in the class of 2016, Williams made a commitment to play college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers. On November 13, 2015, he officially announced his decision to join the Tennessee program.

Throughout his collegiate career with the Tennessee Volunteers, Williams consistently proved his exceptional skills and earned recognition as an All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) player in his freshman, sophomore, and junior years. His remarkable performances on the court led to back-to-back SEC Player of the Year accolades for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, a distinction that hadn't been achieved since Corliss Williamson in 1995.

Williams played a pivotal role in guiding the Tennessee Volunteers to the NCAA tournament during his tenure. In the 2018 NCAA tournament, he led the team as a third seed, showcasing his leadership and talent. The following year, Williams played a crucial part in Tennessee's success once again, as they secured a second seed in the 2019 NCAA tournament, demonstrating his consistency and impact on the team's performance.

Basketball career

In the 2019 NBA draft, Williams was chosen as the 22nd overall pick by the Boston Celtics. He signed a four-year, $11.8 million rookie-scale contract with the Celtics on July 11, 2019. Williams made his professional debut on October 23, 2019, and earned his first career start on December 4, 2019.

During his rookie season, Williams played an average of just over 15 minutes per game in 69 games, averaging 3.4 points and 2.6 rebounds. In his second season, he slightly improved his averages, playing over 18 minutes per game and averaging 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds.

On March 21, 2022, Williams achieved a then career-high of 20 points in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He finished the 2021-22 season with career-best averages of over 24 minutes per game, 7.8 points per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game.

In the playoffs, Williams had a standout performance, scoring a career-high 27 points in a decisive game 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He helped the Celtics reach the NBA Finals but ultimately lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.

On October 26, 2022, Williams received a one-game suspension without pay for making contact with a game official during a game against the Chicago Bulls.

In March 2023, Williams missed two critical free throws in the final seconds of a game, resulting in a loss for his team. He also had a verbal confrontation with Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers. This incident received significant attention online.

On May 19, 2023, during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, Williams had a solid performance off the bench, contributing nine points, two rebounds, two assists, and one block. However, an altercation with Jimmy Butler led to technical fouls for both players, and the Heat went on to win the game.

Finally, on July 12, 2023, Williams was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade agreement.

Personal life

Grant Williams is in a relationship with Tamryn Cupido.

Off the court, Williams has shown his dedication to giving back to the community. He has been involved in various charitable endeavors, including participating in basketball camps and community outreach programs. Williams has been known to engage with fans, showing appreciation for their support and interacting with them through social media platforms.

In interviews and public appearances, Williams comes across as a personable and down-to-earth individual. He has often spoken about the importance of family and credits his support system for his success both on and off the basketball court.

Awards

• SEC All-Freshman Team - Coaches (2017)
• 2× First-team All-SEC (2018, 2019)
• 2× SEC Player of the Year - Coaches (2018, 2019)
• Consensus first-team All-American (2019)
• SEC Player of the Year - AP (2019)