Grant Williams and Jimmy Butler famously got into a heated altercation during the 2023 NBA Playoffs series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. Speaking on the battle between the two, Williams says all is fair in love and war, via the Run Your Race Podcast.

“Jimmy [Butler] knows it's all love because we're just competitors, like naturally…afterwards, he even said, ‘I respect him,' and I was like ‘I respect him too.' Everybody has their own thing.”

Grant Williams does not duck the situation by any means and emphasizes that he has nothing but respect for Jimmy Butler. In the end, neither player got what they truly wanted, as both the Celtics and Heat fell short of claiming an NBA Finals trophy.

Similar battles might happen in the future between these two players, although they will look a little differently. Williams was a part of a sign-and-trade from the Celtics to the Dallas Mavericks earlier in NBA free agency; he will now be suiting up for the Mavs this next season, who will be playing the Heat much less given them being in opposite conferences.

Regardless of when the two face-off again, NBA fans will be glued to their seats to see if there are any more theatrics. Williams stresses that it was just a part of the game but that will never make a difference when it comes to the jokes and memes that NBA Twitter loves to fire off.

Respect to Grant Williams for being honest about the altercation with Jimmy Butler, and to both players for being vocal about their love for each other's competitiveness. There is no doubt that both players are beloved teammates because of how much they give it their all every night on the floor.