The early portion of the 2019 NBA Draft was highlighted by superstars Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, as well as other big names such as Darius Garland, Tyler Herro and RJ Barrett. Plenty of value would still be dug up later on in the first round, though, and the Boston Celtics certainly found this with Grant Williams.
Instrumental in the team's run to the 2022 NBA Finals, Williams went from a rookie who did not play much in Boston to being a voice of reason for his team. On a roster that was highlighted by two All-Stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Williams found a way to stick out. This offseason, he cashed in on his success, agreeing to a four-year, $53.3 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks. The transaction turned into a three-team sign-and-trade involving the Celtics, Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.
Now set to embark on a new chapter of his NBA journey with the Mavs, Williams took some time to talk with ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview about his first four seasons in the league with the Celtics and what he is looking forward to in Dallas, as well as the success he has found off the basketball court with his charitable efforts and the Grant Williams Family Foundation.
ClutchPoints: Tell me about the Grant Williams Family Foundation and what you’ve been able to accomplish recently with the youth of our community.
Grant Williams: I’m super excited with the direction of the foundation. We have a great partnership with Quest Nutrition, and they recently went above and beyond by donating $10,000 at our first free basketball camp at West Charlotte High School.
Outside of the camp, we’ve also been able to help a lot of people who are not athletes and have not been given the same opportunities in life compared to the normal person. Putting together a bunch of different programs for people of all kinds of backgrounds is just such a blessing.
We have seven pillars at the foundation, but the four I feel like are my main priorities: mentorship, financial literacy, arts and culture, as well as technology. Taxes and investments for example are not necessarily things kids in this area of our nation are taught, even careers in the local area.
To be able to teach them about these small things and give back is something I am very proud to do through the foundation and words cannot describe how happy I am to be a mentor to some bright, young adults. From my time in Charlotte to Boston to now going to Dallas, I want to be able to continue impacting all the communities that have helped shape my life.
CP: What does it mean to you to be in the position you are giving back to your community and aiding in the growth of the next generations?
GW: Honestly, it is one of my biggest passions. I’ve always said that I would not be in the position I am today if it was not for the great mentors I've had around me, as well as those that initially put me on the path to success. I hope that with the foundation, we can just continue to give back and develop relationships with various networks because what you realize in this world and this life as you get older is that the larger your network is, more opportunities come to light.
Also, when you are genuine and honest and you’re a giving person, more success in all aspects of life will come your way. I try to teach these kids just to be authentic and treat everyone they encounter with respect. Not only will people ask around about the type of person you are today, but they’re going to ask what you were like growing up and what kind of person you were.
There’s a story I tell the kids all the time with the Oklahoma City Thunder calling my ninth-grade math teacher a few years back in order to get background info on me when I was first entering the league through the draft. She thought it was a fake spam call at first, but it was real and that’s just one instance in life of how every little thing you do is being evaluated by someone.
I just want to impact these kids' lives and help them understand that where they currently find themselves in life does not mean that’s where they have to be later on in the future. A lot of people gave to me when I was growing up, so I am thankful to have the opportunity to give back now.
CP: Quest Nutrition recently donated $10,000 to your foundation at your first basketball camp this weekend. What was your first reaction when you learned about this and what did it mean to you specifically to see the reactions from all the kids at the camp?
GW: There’s two things I will say about that.
First, Quest has been phenomenal in terms of our partnership. Even though it is more recent, they’ve been there for me, for these kids, and they're always very active in terms of supporting the foundation. In regards to the kids at the camp, I know they were all shocked when that giant check came out and some of them were even asking, “Who’s this $10,000 going to?” After a few laughs and jokes, I told them it was going to the foundation.
I also recently announced that I would be splitting the donation with Team United, an AAU program in Charlotte that helped coach and run the camp with me. I did not play with them, but my brother did and he was able to learn a lot of life skills from the coaching staff that he had, so I am super excited to be able to give back to them.
With the foundation, our biggest thing is making sure we send out more than we are taking in. We want to make sure we take care of people that are doing great work in the community as well as our goals with the community's youth. Everything we’ve been able to accomplish is just super exciting.
CP: I recently saw you soaking in some of the action at NBA Summer League with your hand still wrapped up. How is everything going in terms of injury recovery?
Williams: The hand wrap is off! I got cleared recently and now have these little tape-like bands holding my left pointer and middle finger together.
In terms of getting back on the court at full-speed, I am not necessarily there yet, as I’m not allowed to dribble and do that kind of stuff. I am able to go back to shooting and lifting, though, plus get back to what I really enjoy and that’s just being on the floor. This was my first surgery ever and I did not know really what to expect, but thankfully everything has been smooth and hopefully everything stays on this path.
CP: What was your mindset entering this summer and what ultimately led you to the Dallas Mavericks?
GW: Continuing to find ways to progress and continue to improve are always at the forefront of my mind. I mainly just want to impact winning, that’s my No. 1 goal. I’ve always been a guy that wants to come in and help the locker room, help the culture, but just simply impact success. That’s been my mentality this offseason and finding ways to make my weaknesses my new strengths is what I plan to work on.
The injury has limited my abilities to do certain workouts on the court, but I’ve been trying to work on movement shooting and I’ve been doing a lot of work with navigating screens as a defender. I always want to have a positive mindset, I want to have a positive approach and I want to be a great teammate. I’m coming into a new situation with the Mavericks, so I want to prove right away that I can fit in and be someone everyone in the organization trusts both on and off the court.
CP: It has not been long, but based on the conversations you’ve had with some of your new teammates, what are you most looking forward to in your first season with Dallas?
GW: Playing with Luka [Doncic] and Kyrie [Irving] obviously stands out about joining Dallas, but I can’t wait to be on the floor with the other guys as well. Whether it is Jaden Hardy or Tim Hardaway Jr. or JaVale McGee or Dereck Lively II – the team itself just has a bunch of great guys and I’ve been starting to get to know each of them on a personal level. Building those relationships and bonds now will obviously help us win during the season, but I genuinely want to get to know these guys.
One of the reasons I chose Dallas is because of the culture and the opportunity to win. They were just a few pieces away from being a real threat this past season, and they were in need and looking to add someone like me who can do a lot of little things to impact winning. I want to make sure we go from being a bottom-tier defensive team to being one of the best in the league this upcoming year.
CP: Who has been your biggest inspiration in the game of basketball and, building off of this, who has been your biggest mentor or a player you’ve learned the most from?
GW: I’ve always looked up to guys who are like me, guys who look to impact winning by doing a little bit of everything. Draymond Green and Charles Barkley are two names that come to mind right away. A guy who has embraced their mold and a 6’6” guy who can guard multiple positions defensively and compete at the highest level possible on the offensive end as well in terms of passing, scoring, you name it.
The biggest mentor I have always had in my career has been Kemba Walker. He took me under his wing when I first entered the league and I want to congratulate him on his new deal overseas with Monaco. He’s made more of an impact on my life than anyone else has in terms of NBA basketball, especially because I was able to stay at his house when coronavirus and the pandemic first started. To open up your household to someone you just really met that season and now allow him to be a part of your family in a way, that was special to me. He’s always been there for me too, even when we haven’t been teammates, as I would call him up and ask for advice and help on certain things. He’s been vital to me in life and I’ll always be grateful and thankful for him. Kemba can always have anything he ever needs from me.
I also would not be where I am today without my family and coaches at Tennessee who pushed me to be the best version of myself.
CP: You are now the first vice president of the National Basketball Players Association. Tell me about getting this new CBA deal done with the NBA and what the most stressful part about it was.
GW: What I’ll say about my position with the NBPA is that I am fortunate to be able to represent all the players across our league, and I hope to continue doing my job by making sure they are taken care of and the top priority. As we continue to grow this league, the players will need to adapt and grow with it, whether that is on or off the court.
A key topic is making sure we have better retirement programs when players are not only out of the league, but also when players come into the league so they already have the foundation set, that way they do not fall out of the league as fast.
I’m super excited because although the CBA was difficult, it showed me what negotiations are like and what I should expect in a couple of years. Being in this position allowed me to have a voice and see things from both sides of negotiations. I’ve always been the type of person to look at situations and try to resolve conflict with what is best for both parties, so I was able to give that perspective during these talks and it helped a lot of official rules to come into place.
CP: When you get the chance to play the Celtics this upcoming season for the first time, what will you be looking forward to the most and who do you want to be the primary defender on, Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum?
GW: Honestly, going back to TD Garden is going to be weird at first. Even saying I play for the Dallas Mavericks now is weird because I have only played for a couple of teams in my entire basketball career going back to my amateur days. To go to a new team and wear blue, which I have never worn at all, it is a unique time.
I think it will be exciting going back to Boston and I hope I get a warm reception for what I did with that franchise. If not and if I am met with boos, I am just going to go out there and compete to make sure my team wins.
Regarding my two guys, I am cool taking on either of them. Jaylen [Brown] and Jayson [Tatum] are both very different in terms of how you have to guard them, so I am super excited for that challenge. I’ve guarded them in practice, but real NBA games are completely different. Because of my relationship with Jayson, I think that will be a little bit of a fun battle and rivalry in a way. In terms of Jaylen, he’s another guy I have the utmost respect for too, so I am really looking forward to being able to compete against those guys when the time comes.
CP: What will you miss most about the city of Boston or the Celtics as a whole?
GW: I can’t lie, I will obviously miss the organization, the team and the players, as this is where my NBA journey started. I’ve changed a lot over the last four years and have become the person I am today because of a lot of the people inside the walls of that organization. It’s definitely a weird feeling to leave. Derrick White is still a really good friend of mine, and it will be weird no longer being in that city and working in that community.
Going to Dallas, though, I will be looking to not only improve as a basketball player, but continue to find ways to impact the community around me. Like I had in Boston, I want to have a voice in Dallas that expands off of what I do on the court. This is just a new chapter in my life and the new season cannot come soon enough!
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