After playing a role in the Boston Celtics’ run to an NBA Eastern Conference title, Tennessee basketball alum Grant Williams is set to suit up for the NBA Finals beginning Thursday night.
Tip-off for Game 1 of the series between the Celtics and the Golden State Warriors is set for Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Williams is looking to be the first VFL to claim an NBA championship since Jordan McRae did so with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
Over the course of the Celtics’ current playoff run, Williams has averaged 10.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game—also shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range.
This season marks Williams’ third trip to the NBA Playoffs with Boston. In his previous two appearances in 2020 and 2021, he played just 10.0 and 11.4 minutes per game, while averaging 2.8 and 3.4 points per game, respectively.
Williams’ breakout moment of the 2022 playoffs came in Boston’s Game 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, when he scored 27 points on seven made 3-pointers. The 27 points marked his most in a game—regular season or postseason—since his time at Tennessee, and the seven made threes tied Stephen Curry’s NBA Playoffs record for most made threes in a Game 7.
A two-time SEC Player of the Year and 2019 unanimous first team All-American, Williams concluded his Tennessee career as one of the most decorated players in program history. During his final season as a Vol in 2018-19, Williams averaged 18.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. He also shot 57 percent from the field and an impressive 82 percent from the free-throw line.
He departed Tennessee ranked in the top 10 in program history in career blocks (3rd/160), free-throw attempts (3rd/661), free throws made (4th/501) and offensive rebounds (8th/257). He also ranks 12th in scoring with 1,629 career points.
-UT Athletics
