Celtics

Grant Williams admits he was ‘disappointed’ the Celtics didn’t give him a tribute video

"Was I a little bit disappointed? Yeah, just because I feel like there were some great years in those four years I was there."

By Conor Roche

May 5, 2024

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Grant Williams is grateful for the time that he had with the Celtics, but he was a little underwhelmed with one aspect of his return to Boston in April.

The now-Hornets forward said he was “disappointed” by not receiving a tribute video from the Celtics. Instead, the Celtics gave him a simple “Welcome Back, Grant Williams” message on the video board before showing him on the bench as he was inactive for that game.

“I didn’t get a tribute video,” Williams said on “The Cedric Maxwell Podcast.” “I was like, ‘Dang.'”

Williams was one of a handful of notable Celtics players to make their returns to TD Garden this season after being traded in the 2023 offseason. Marcus Smart received a tribute video and was honored as a “Hero Among Us” for the work he did in the Boston community during his nine seasons with the Celtics.

However, Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon didn’t receive a tribute video when the Trail Blazers visited the Celtics in April. Even though both players were inactive, they were on the Trail Blazers’ bench for that game. But Williams requested not to receive a tribute video, according to The Boston Globe‘s Adam Himelsbach. They acknowledged him though with a similar “Welcome Back” message.

Grant Williams said he understood if the Celtics were following a precedent, but he still felt a little upset.

“As much as I was involved in the community, loved Boston, and the organization, I think they were just trying to be consistent with what they had done prior,” Williams said. “Was I a little bit disappointed? Yeah, just because I feel like there were some great years in those four years I was there. I was a kid when I was drafted there and I was a kid that grew up there. Hopefully, I was able to help go through things that helped them get to the point where they are now.”

Still, Williams felt “thankful” just to receive any sort of recognition when he returned.

“You’ve got to have some gratitude because they could’ve just not done anything,” Williams said. “Even though it was just a, ‘Thank you, Grant,’ that’s something that could be standard across the league. But it definitely kind of surprised me.”

The Celtics have had a tribute video controversy in the past. After being traded to the Cavaliers in 2017, Isaiah Thomas requested that the Celtics hold their tribute video for him in a game where he would be healthy to play. That initially coincided with Paul Pierce’s number retirement ceremony, with the Celtics great requesting that he have the day to himself.

It didn’t matter in the end, as Thomas was traded before that scheduled return and eventually received his own tribute video.

It doesn’t appear that there will be a similar controversy this time around, as Williams also expressed his gratitude for Celtics fans.

“There was nothing but love in the arena,” Williams said of his return to TD Garden. People were saying, ‘Come back’ and ‘We want you back.’ They were like, ‘You’ll be the next Al, we trade you and you come back two years later or [Daniel] Theis.’

“It felt refreshing.”

Williams had a rocky first year away from Boston. He began the season in Dallas, agreeing to a sign-and-trade to join the Mavericks as they hoped he could provide some defensive help. But that didn’t work out as there were rumors that he clashed with Mavericks teammate Luka Doncic.

The Mavericks traded Williams to the Hornets at the trade deadline in February. Williams scored 13.9 points and grabbed 5.1 rebounds per game in 29 games with Charlotte.