'No Beef!' Dallas Mavs' Grant Williams On Boston Celtics Relationship With Deuce Tatum
Then/Boston Celtics power forward Grant Williams enters the Miami Heat's visiting locker room in full uniform and a towel draped over his shoulder.
The Celtics had just tied the Heat at one game a piece in the Eastern Conference Finals in a series that eventually saw the Celtics advancing to the NBA Finals in seven games. But they weren't there yet.
This particular night, the series was still tied and Boston had come away victorious, meaning there was a big reason to celebrate. Williams, knowing this, began to fist-bump all of his teammates at their lockers before finding his own — and suddenly stopped where he was.
A certain pre-kindergartener in the locker room refused to return Williams' fist bump in a video that has since gone viral. Celtics star Jayson Tatum's son, or “Deuce,” as he's better known, instead looked at Williams and walked away with his father.
And thus, the Grant Williams-Tatum beef began.
© Bob DeChiara, Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Since being introduced to the NBA world several years ago, Jayson Tatum's son has been a popular figure in the Celtics' locker room, but also on social media. His playoff interaction with Williams was no exception, though if you ask Williams about it, he'd tell you that the two of them "do not" have issues.
"Me and Deuce don't have beef," Williams told Emily Austin on the Hoop Chat with a laugh. "That's my guy. ... It's one of those love-hate things. That's my little brother always."
So, as quickly as it begun, the beef seems to be over between the five-year old and the now Dallas Mavericks veteran — if it ever existed.
Either way, their relationship as whole, on the other hand, is far from over.
"It's funny," Williams said. "He's getting older now, and starting to like, talk talk. I was with [Jayson] the other day and [he was there]. I told him 'Man, you're in kindergarten now. You're growing up. I won't be able to see you as you grow up anymore.'"
Added Williams: "He replied, 'You went to the Mavericks because I'm in kindergarten?'"
Obviously, there was more to Williams' move to Dallas than the age level of his "younger brother" in Boston, but the sentiment does prove the pair's positive relationship, which began back when Williams first joined the Celtics and the NBA.
"That made me sad," Williams said, again with a slight chuckle. "It's weird seeing kids grow up. As much as he can make it seem that he doesn't like me, I think he'll miss me a little bit."
Now entering his fifth season, Williams will be donning a Mavs jersey alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, marking the first time of his career he won't be in Boston with Deuce and company. The move not only gives him a chance to continue to develop in new surroundings, but also to take on a leadership role as a veteran.
His "growing up" may be a lot different than that of his former locker-room buddy in Boston, but it exists, nonetheless. And Williams will be looking to make the most of it.
"I know the team is a bunch of great guys," Williams said in the summer following his trade. "The coaching staff has been amazing — great conversation, great dialogue. It's been very welcoming and I feel like I'm part of the family already."
