Warriors' Draymond Green destroys ‘goofy’ Grant Williams for Jayson Tatum hit
Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams received a lot of criticism for his hit on Jayson Tatum with Draymond Green being one of his loudest critics. The Golden State Warriors forward was upset with Williams' handling of the incident after getting ejected from the game with a flagrant two foul.
Williams said the hit on Tatum was unintentional, a comment that Green called "mad wild." The 34-year-old did not stop there, continuing to blast Williams for being "goofy" and "frustrated" with not being a member of the Boston Celtics' championship-winning team.
"Thinking a blindside hit 'on ya mans' is a smile-worthy offense means 1 of 2 things," Green tweeted. "You have zero awareness or you a goofy... And both make you a goofy... goofy."
"He mad at JT about something lol," Green wrote in a later tweet. "[Ring emoji] He was supposed to keep him in Boston lol. JT got a ring and dude let his frustrations out about it."
Fans criticized Williams for his actions after the game along with members of the Celtics. Jaylen Brown said he thought Tatum and Williams were friends but "actions speak louder" the moment likely changed their relationship. Derrick White was also critical of the hit, condemning his former teammate for being reckless with his size.
Many members of the current Celtics roster are the same players who were on the team when Williams was last in Boston in 2023. In his final year with the team, Boston was eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Williams infamously mocked Jimmy Butler in that series right before the Heat forward unloaded on the Celtics to close out the series.
In the ensuing offseason, Williams signed with the Dallas Mavericks in free agency. The Celtics would go on to win the 2024 NBA Finals without him.
Warriors face Celtics on Nov. 6
While Green was largely in defense of Tatum from Williams' on-court attack, he has not traditionally been on their side. Green has been one of the biggest targets of Celtics fans on social media for his aggressive play style against the team during numerous previous encounters.
Green will get his chance to top the defending champions on Nov. 6 when the Warriors travel to Boston. The game will be the third of Golden State's five-game road trip that begins on Nov. 2 against the Houston Rockets.
The Celtics and Warriors have both gotten off to scorching hot starts to the 2024-2025 campaign. As of Nov. 2, the Celtics remain one of the top teams in the NBA with a 5-1 record with the Warriors right behind them at 4-1. Golden State has continued to win even in Stephen Curry's absence with an ankle injury.
