Did Grant Williams just tease a possible return to game action?

It's been over a year since Grant Williams played an NBA game; Nov. 23, 2024, was the last time the Hornets forward, nursing a knee injury that required surgery, was out on the floor for the Charlotte Hornets. But now, Williams has hinted at his imminent return—indeed, just days away. And he did so by flashing back to his fan-favorite look as the Caped Crusader from Halloween 2022.

On Tuesday, Williams took to his official Instagram account to post several stories suggesting that he'll be making a comeback in "4 Days," with one image on his Instagram Story including a four-day countdown (starting from Tuesday, Jan. 6) that will terminate right about the time the Hornets take the floor against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Saturday (Jan. 10).

Grant Williams has hinted at a return versus the Jazz on Saturday 🚨 pic.twitter.com/7mQJtn8P1X
— Charlottehornetsonly (@ChaHornetsOnly) January 6, 2026

Williams' posts centered around his 2022 Batman costume, which the then-Boston Celtic wore for the press that year in honor of his "Batman" nickname. This week, Williams also changed his Instagram profile pic to one that looks like him as the titular Dark Knight.

Batman Returns

Williams has embraced his “Batman” persona since his days with the Boston Celtics, most memorably leaning into the nickname during the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals. That Halloween, he went all-in on the bit with a full Batman costume for team media availability, a moment that quickly became part of his public identity and one he’s clearly comfortable revisiting now as he nears the end of a long rehab process.

If the timeline he teased holds, indeed, Williams would be on track to make his long-awaited return when the Charlotte Hornets visit the Jazz this weekend. To underscore the urgency, it would mark his first game action since that late November 2024 appearance, ending a frustrating stretch that sidelined him for more than a full calendar year and limited Charlotte’s frontcourt depth throughout that span.

Before the injury, Williams had carved out a valuable role as a physical, versatile forward capable of defending multiple positions and stretching the floor. His return would give the Hornets another experienced option in the rotation, particularly one familiar with high-leverage situations and playoff-level intensity, even if his minutes are initially monitored.

For now, Williams hasn’t made anything official beyond the countdown itself, but the message was clear enough. The Bat-signal is up, and all signs point toward his return being right around the corner.

Watch Williams' original Celtics interview from 2022 as Batman below.

Origin of Grant Williams' Batman Nickname

Grant Williams’ self-given “Batman” nickname took some convincing, but it eventually caught on with his Boston Celtics teammates and fans alike. After a 2022 Celtics win over the Denver Nuggets, as NBC Sports Boston reported, Jaylen Brown revealed that Williams wanted the nickname highlighted following his strong defensive effort against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, joking that he wasn’t sold on it at first. Still, once Celtics Twitter ran with the bit—much like it did with Robert “Time Lord” Williams—the nickname quickly became part of Boston Celtics lore.

However: "It was not me that came up with it," Williams later told The Simon NBA Show, per NESN. "My father actually told me it two years ago when I guarded Joker (Nikola Jokić), and I was guarding him well and he said, 'We're gonna call you the Batman from now on,' goofily. And then the next season did it again I guess, and played well, and so he texted me after the game and I basically just joked with JB (Jaylen Brown). I was like 'My dad said you guys gotta call me Batman from now on.' And then JB said it to the media and it just went from there. It stuck." See below.

- MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI -

ESPN insider is buying into what the Hornets front office is building in Charlotte

One Hornets lineup is quietly dominating the NBA and should be locked in as the starters

LaMelo Ball deemed 'most overrated' NBA player for silly reasons

Takeaways from the Charlotte Hornets' shocking win over defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder