After the Boston Celtics agreed to sign and trade Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks on July 5, Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum sent a heartfelt tribute to his friend and former teammate via Instagram.
On his Instagram story, Tatum wrote the following to Williams, “My brotha for life! Genuine to the core. Sick about it but happy as hell for you and your family! Much deserved love ya Brodie! Till we link up again.”
Jayson Tatum posts his farewell to Grant Williams 👋
(📸 @jaytatum0 / IG)
Videos of Celtics’ practices demonstrated the friendship Tatum and Williams had for one another during their time as teammates, like Williams giving Tatum a piggyback ride.
@Grant2Will He’s so strong! Grant Williams gives Jayson Tatum a piggyback ride
One of the more well-known examples of their bond took place on Halloween. Tatum was hanging around Williams’ postgame press conference, where Williams was dressed up as Batman. As Williams was answering questions – while doing his best impression of Batman himself – Tatum asked, “What the f*** are you doing?”
@Grant2Will My absolute favorite… Grant Williams giving a post-game interview in his Batman costume with the Batman voice, and Jayson Tatum’s reaction…
That also includes the “beef” Tatum’s son Deuce had with his dad’s teammate, as he was known for being cold to Williams.
Jayson Tatum’s son, Deuce really left Grant Williams hanging 😅
Tatum clearly valued having Williams on the team for the camaraderie but was happy to see his now ex-teammate getting paid.
Grant Williams Was Jayson Tatum’s Closest Friend on Celtics
On July 6, The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reported that the Celtics letting Williams go went against their previous moves of making Tatum happy because of their close bond.
“Tatum keeps a pretty tight circle, and Williams was probably his closest friend on the team. Over the past two years, the Celtics have gone out of their way to appease their franchise cornerstone however they can, and the Williams move appears to run counter to that,” Himmelsbach wrote.
Himmelsbach then explained why Tatum was not against the move.
“But one league source said Wednesday that Tatum understood the decision and is primarily focused on the construction of a championship-level roster around him.”
The Celtics have brought in one of Tatum’s friends, Amile Jefferson, who played with him during their days at Duke University, as an assistant coach for the upcoming season.
Himmelsbach named another one of Tatum’s close friends and former teammate as a possible free agent target for the Celtics.
“The list of compelling free agents is relatively sparse. Maybe the team eventually looks to bring back Blake Griffin or former Celtics wing Javonte Green.”
Jayson Tatum Promises Reunion With Marcus Smart
After Marcus Smart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, Tatum not only paid tribute to Smart but also promised that the two of them would reunite as teammates and win a title.
“My dawg Forever grateful for you and how you pushed me and helped me along this journey. Never change keep being you, one of a kind can never be replaced! My brotha for life! We gone link back up one day and get us one no doubt about that! Until then, Much love brodie!”
From Jayson Tatum’s Instagram story:
Smart has been teammates with Tatum from the very beginning of his NBA career. Between his and Williams’ departure, Tatum has had to say goodbye to some of his longest-tenured teammates this offseason.
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Jayson Tatum Bids Farewell to Grant Williams After Celtics Trade