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A Reflective Grant Williams Discusses His One-Game Suspension: 'I've got to be more mindful'
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When the fourth quarter of Monday's 120-102 loss to the Bulls arrived, the Celtics were already frustrated with the officiating. Head coach Joe Mazzulla received two technicals in the blink of an eye for what lead official Marc Davis cited as unsportsmanlike conduct, inappropriate comments, and not getting off the court in time while continuing to complain.
Post-game, Mazzulla said he did not use any of the magic words that would've created more of a justification for his ejection. From this vantage point, it seemed like a case of giving the NBA's newest and youngest active head coach a hard time.
Jayson Tatum also received a technical in the Celtics' first defeat of the season after he waved his arms in frustration and disagreement with a foul call after attempting to block a transition layup from behind.
Then, on the heels of Grant Williams getting called for an offensive foul for an illegal screen with Alex Caruso upselling the amount of force utilized to set the pick, Williams got whistled for a blocking foul on a 50/50 call at the other end.
With his emotions boiling over, Williams leapt off the hardwood and burst towards Boston's bench. However, as he did so, he bumped referee Cheryl Flores, warranting an automatic ejection.
Wednesday, Williams received a one-game suspension that will keep him out of Friday's matchup against the Cavaliers.
Discussing his reaction to the suspension following Thursday's practice, a reflective Williams expressed the following.
"Disappointed for sure. I was more so disappointed about missing the game. Definitely one of those things where you never want to let your team down, so I feel like I did."
Since it's indisputable that he made contact with Flores, Williams says he does not intend to appeal his suspension.
"For me, it's something I probably won't challenge, especially the fact is it was a female referee, too; that's not something that we want our players to be doing in the league. So, no matter if it was inadvertent or not, I've got to be better, I've got to be more mindful, I've got to be more conscious of my surroundings and more conscious of my mental state, and not let things affect me during the game."
When told Monday's lead official, Marc Davis, said after the game that he thought it was intentional, Williams immediately shot that down, saying, "never that."
Now an NBA veteran starting his fourth year in the league, Williams conveyed what happened stemmed from mounting frustration following a series of calls against him.
"After the moving screen call, I just kind of was questioning. So, I think there was a little bit of emotion in the moment, and then that next play was directly afterwards when I took a charge, which I feel like was a bang-bang play; it probably could've gone either way with it, probably looks more like a charge in my eyes."
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Williams said when he saw it ruled a blocking foul against him, he got up and tried to run off. But when he looked up, he realized he was about to make contact with Flores, so he tried avoiding it but bumped her with his hip.
Again, Williams reiterated, "nowhere near intentional, nowhere near anything of that nature."
"I think it was a little bit of youth in mind. I have to be better in the sense of being more mature and understanding that your emotion is good; it's what makes you so great of a player. It's just a matter of channeling that, using it in a better direction and using that whether that's directed towards a teammate, making sure everybody's engaged and motivated, directing it towards yourself if you're not having a great game yourself, I feel like that's the next step."
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Filing it under respect for the game, Williams voiced that given the officials are people he's interacting with on a nearly daily basis, he's made it a point since entering the NBA to build relationships with the referees.
"These same officials are going to ref every single game that we have all the way up to the Finals. Not knowing their names, not knowing how to respect them, what they prefer, that's something that I've tried to learn throughout the years, just understanding each official and how they are; how they react to certain things. How comfortable they are in moments (that are) tight.
"And so that's something that I've tried to do a better job of, understanding some of the more veteran officials, you have to be more respectful, kind of approach them in a soft way, vs. being aggressive and direct. Others, you kind of have to have that confrontation because they don't take it personally; they're passionate for the game, just as competitive as we are. Ohers, you might not say a word at all because you don't want to rile them up. That's something you learn year-over-year."
And while players aren't allowed to communicate with officials off the court, there are liaisons in place, through which Williams extended an apology to Flores.
When asked whether he's concerned this incident impacts his relationships with officials around the league, Williams stated he doesn't believe that will happen.
"I hope that one moment doesn't dictate three years of communication and respect. I never thought that as being a thing, nor do I think that moving forward. For me, I'm going to try to do a better job, probably not communicating as much, to understand that the game is more important than anything else. Off the court, I'll be respectful and communicate more, but I'll try my best to hold my tongue in the course of the game."
Williams, who says he's never received an ejection or a suspension before in his life, has used this as an opportunity to take a step back, reflect, and ensure he moves on from this with the right mentality going forward.
Further Reading
Once Uncertain Jayson Tatum Has Shown He Is Man For Job For Celtics
The Top 5 Plays from Monday's Celtics-Bulls Game
After Opening Night Win, Celtics Express Their Belief in Joe Mazzulla and His Collaborative Approach
