Former Tennessee-turned-Boston Celtics star Grant Williams, known for being one of the most talkative guys in the NBA, was feeling it Saturday afternoon after the Vols qualified for the Sweet 16 at the 2023 NCAA Tournament. .
After Tennessee’s victory over five-seeded Duke in the second round of the Eastern Region, Williams decided to troll and talk some trash to Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum, who previously played for Duke for his university years.
“JT,” Williams said until he had Tatum’s attention in the video. “**** Duke.”
The NSFW video, from Williams’ Instagram account, was edited by NBA on ESPN and posted to Twitter.
Grant Williams informs Tatum of Duke’s tournament loss 🤣
(via grantwill2/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/7VGnkwyDRw
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 18, 2023
More from RTI: ‘Take ’em through the mud’: How Tennessee basketball beat Duke in NCAA Tournament
March Madness: WATCH: Tennessee Postgame Video – Barnes, Nkamhoua, Aidoo, James, Vescovi
Tatum only played at Duke for one season during the 2016-17 season. That year, Tatum averaged 16.8 points per game while leading the Blue Devils to an ACC Tournament Championship in 2017.
Tatum entered the NBA in the 2017 draft where he was selected as the third pick in the draft.
Two years later, in the 2019 NBA draft, the Celtics drafted former Tennessee star Grant Williams with the 22nd overall pick.
The two players became teammates and quickly became recognized as one of the most fun duos the NBA had to offer.
That friendship may have been tested on Saturday, however, with the Williams Flights eliminating a red-hot Duke team from the NCAA Tournament despite public opinion strongly favoring the blue-blooded Blue Devils.
Speaking of the Sweet 16, it was also Grant Williams’ last game in a Tennessee uniform. The last time Tennessee reached the Sweet 16 was in the 2019 tournament game against Purdue, with the Boilermakers knocking the Vols out of the tournament in overtime. Williams finished that game with 21 points in a strong attempt to continue Tennessee’s season.
Four-seeded Tennessee will now return to the Sweet 16 in 2023 following the 65-52 victory over five-seeded Duke on Saturday afternoon in Orlando, Fla. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more details on Tennessee’s game next weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
