Grant Williams Speaks on Mavs Fit & More: ‘I Love Dallas!’
DALLAS — After spending the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Boston Celtics, Grant Williams joined the Dallas Mavericks on a four-year, $52 million contract using a three-team sign-and-trade. After moving on from Dorian Finney-Smith in part of the midseason trade to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets, the Mavs lacked size at the four spot — an area that Williams is intended to address.
With many weeks before the Mavs even start training camp for the 2023-24 season, Williams focuses on settling into the Dallas area and being accessible. On Wednesday, he participated in Mavs Hoop Camp at the team's practice facility, providing a fun environment for local kids to compete and work on their game.
“It’s been very, very special, being able to spend some time with kids in the academy, to not only hopefully help them learn a little bit about basketball but also life,” Williams said.
“It’s fun," Williams explained. "The best part of the summer is being accessible and available. I love Dallas so far.”
During the camp, Williams offered cash prizes to campers in what he calls the "Money Game," something he picked up from attending basketball camps as a kid. He also competed in games of knockout and 1-on-1 with campers.
"Something that I try and do at the end of my camp, it's called 'Money Game,'" Williams said. "The way we do it is we start camp may be $10 under each cone at the 3-point line. Next day, it'll be $20. Next, it'll be $50. The last day is $100. In the half-court shots, I add a twist where you shoot for a $100 bill.
"I learned the money game from Sam Mitchell, Sam Mark basketball camp," Williams explained. "That's why I started it in mine, but my favorite part about camp [growing up] was just being here with my friends, meeting new people and just enjoying the special moments, even if players didn't come."
Williams, who was born in Houston but grew up in Charlotte, sees similarities between Charlotte and Dallas. He mentioned only being in town for three days at the time of making his comment about the city, but he's enjoyed his time and anticipates being fully moved in September.
“Someone familiar with me told me that Dallas is just like Charlotte, in a way,” Williams said. “It’s like the southern Charlotte in terms of cities, and I love Charlotte, so if that’s the case I know Dallas is up there.
“Every time I’ve come here, the city has been amazing," Williams explained. "I’ve enjoyed the food. I’ve enjoyed the people. So I’m super excited to be a part of the organization now, so I can at least feel more involved in the community itself.”
Williams spent much of his offseason wearing a brace on his wrist while recovering from hand surgery. He is happy with how the recovery process has gone and is nearing a full return to basketball activities.
"The hand is great, but still recovering," Williams said. "I actually have last call tomorrow. I'm super excited to be able to start playing and getting active again."
In terms of basketball fit, Williams remains intrigued by the opportunity to receive open shots from an elite playmaker like Luka Doncic. After competing against the now four-time All-NBA First-Team nominee, Williams understands just how special of a talent Doncic is on the court.
“Outside of open shots?” Williams said. “Probably the most exciting thing I have with Luka is just seeing how he plays the game, seeing how skilled he is.
“The benefit of playing against him, you understand how special he is on the floor," Williams explained. "The way he plays knowing how he sees the game. And the growth that hopefully I can bring with him is this consistent effort in the right way.”
Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
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