Grant Williams spills the beans on his infamous altercation with Jimmy Butler: "Most corny trash talk we've had"
Grant Williams and Jimmy Butler starred in one of the most memorable moments of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat clashed for the chance to play in the Finals against the Denver Nuggets, with the Heat pulling off the upset over the C's.
One of the best moments during that series was between Williams and Butler. The pair went at it during the fourth quarter of Game 2 in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals. Williams tried to get under Butler's skin during that game, sinking a big 3-pointer to give the Celtics a nine-point lead.
Butler then took him in a one-on-one play, getting the and-one play and barking at Williams in front of Celtics fans. It's been over a year since that moment and Williams was asked about it in today's edition of Run It Back. When Shams Charania asked if he regrets 'poking the bear' against Butler, Williams shut down that notion.
“I still don’t think it was a ‘poke the bear' moment. I remember when Jimmy lashed out the 3, he said something under his breath or said something to me and that's when I started talking," Williams recalled.
"[I said], 'I'm here' and that's all we were talking about. And if you look at what we said, all he had to say was, 'I’m here too.' It was like the most corny trash talk that we’ve had."
That series went to a seventh game thanks to the Celtics' resilience. Led by Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company, the C's were close to making history and becoming the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in NBA history.
Nevertheless, Tatum got hurt early in the game and the Heat took advantage of that, beating the Celtics and advancing to the biggest series.
Grant Williams' former teams are clashing in the 2024 NBA Finals
Grant Williams reportedly earned a reputation in the NBA that led him to be traded by the Boston Celtics and then by the Dallas Mavericks. To make things worse, these two teams are clashing in the 2024 NBA Finals, yet none have Williams on their roster.
The player is now a member of the Charlotte Hornets, as he tries to build something with the young and inexperienced team. Nonetheless, that altercation with Butler remains one of the best moments in the NBA playoffs in recent memory, but Grant Williams doesn't think much of it.