Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 236 pounds, Grant Williams strikes an imposing figure on the basketball court. Now playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Williams is known for his 3-point shooting and defensive versatility.
Williams’ basketball journey began at Providence Day School, where he led his team to a state championship in his junior season, averaging 23.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
For college, Williams committed to the University of Tennessee, where he played under coach Rick Barnes. Over three seasons with the Volunteers, Williams transformed into an All-American talent. He finished his college career averaging 13.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, and was named the SEC Player of the Year as a junior.
The Boston Celtics drafted Williams with the 22nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Initially coming off the bench, Williams slowly carved out a consistent role in Boston’s rotation with his lockdown defense and ability to space the floor. In 79 games with the Celtics, the power forward averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game throughout the 2022/23 season, shooting 45.4% from the field, including 39.5% from deep.
After four seasons in Boston, Williams was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2023 to bring some added physicality and depth to Dallas’ frontcourt. Alongside superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Williams will be looking to make a deep postseason run with the Mavs 2024.
Grant Williams Batman Nickname
Grant Williams earned the nickname "Batman" from his father during the 2020/2021 NBA season after he was given the task to guard 2023 Finals MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. Jokic is nicknamed "The Joker," so Williams' father joked that if Grant defends Jokic well, he should be called "Batman."
Williams ended up faring decently against the two-time league MVP in their matchups, using his strength and basketball IQ to make things difficult for Jokic. After hearing the Batman joke from his dad, Williams mentioned it to teammate Jaylen Brown who then repeated the nickname to the media.
Fans also started calling Williams "Batman" because of his ability to pull off unexpected, crafty moves on both ends of the court, similar to how Batman always has clever tricks and technology in his utility belt. Additionally, Williams is a fan of the Batman comic and movie character himself.
In the 2021/2022 season, Williams certainly earned the Batman designation. He played a crucial role for the Celtics as a versatile defensive stopper and 3-point shooter. Coming off the bench, Williams averaged a career-high 7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.5 steals, while shooting 47.5% from the field and 41.1% on three-pointers.
He also stepped up in the NBA Finals to help Boston make it a competitive series against the Golden State Warriors. Grant posted 4.2 points per game in the Finals while making an impact with his hustle and IQ.
FAQs
A. Grant Williams plays as a power forward for the Dallas Mavericks.
A. Grant Williams is 25 years old. He was born on November 30, 1998 in Houston, Texas, United States.
A. Grant Williams debuted in the NBA on October 23, 2019 with the Boston Celtics.
A. Grant Williams played collegiate basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers (University of Tennessee-Knoxville).
