Media Availability: Grant Williams | 2/10/24

Media Availability: Grant Williams | 2/10/24

Wasn’t really surprised by it and um it was one of those where you you didn’t know what to expect first in ever mid-season trade or any trade in general really you count unless you count as Sig in trade which I don’t know if I do or not but um it was definitely uh

Interesting just because you didn’t know like when will I come to Charlotte when will I be playing it’s all the things you don’t really have grasp of but you try and control what you control and bringing the right energy with wherever you come um into a new situation so I’m

Just excited to be here here excited to be home excited to be around friends family loved ones and excited to build something here in Charlotte big SC sports do you ever see yourself I mean being from Charlotte do you ever think this would be a possibility for you yeah

Um I always thought it would be at the end of my career but it’s kind of funny that it happened this way because it allows you to be a part of something that can be built from the ground and something that you know new ownership um

New team you know a bunch of guys who are young and talented you know you have a chance to build something special here in the city and I remember back when bring back the buzz was actually a thing I remember I was in high school at Providence day and talking about you

Know switching from the bobcast to the Hornets so I remember um seeing it I remember watching Kima I remember watching those guys play so it’s special coming home it’s a really unique opportunity and just got to take full advantage of it what was your family’s reaction whenever they heard as you

Expect you your mom and your grandparents and everybody super excited you know you have to set early boundaries because you know you’re you’re home but at the same time you you’re blessed to be around family blessed to see them because you know grandparents par getting old you know

Have a chance to really spend time with the ones that loved you from the beginning and you have a chance to um continue to develop those relationships and see all the close friends that you have when you were here so it’s it’s going to be fun hey gr will you I just

Wanted to ask with you you know you’re 25 years old but you’re already kind of one of the older guys on this team so being a young team here what do you feel like you can bring just your experience so far with Boston and Dallas yeah number one thing is just professionalism

Um really coming in with the right mentality of um doing everything the right right way whether it’s you know coming in on time being able to be here and present being able to get an extra work at night you know just you know

Lead them in a way that I was led when I first got into the league and just a sense of you know security and communication because we’re all at the same age we’re all surrounded by the same Temptation same energies so um being able to give that guid and mindset

Of saying what’s important you know being able to understand that basketball’s got to come first that’s the kind of the name that I got from Chris Paul when I first got into the league is keep basketball as a priority because without any of it without basketball you don’t have anything El

Anything else on the outside that you enjoy or want to celebrate with and do so um making sure that we prioritize winning prioritize playing team basketball and prioritize being for one another because you know no one’s going to be able to experience the things that we experience in this life because

They’re not going to be in the same position so um you have a sense of of Brothers here that you can rely on and Trust Great Mel from charlot Sports I Ste in a little lat here but you’re a guy that plays the four you’re playing against guys that are much taller than

You a lot of times give need TI you how do you play Big how do you manage to hang in there yeah just starts with physicality um really the number one thing about um this league is it’s not matter how tall you are you see this

League is now switched to a little more pace and space and smaller lineups that can switch and you know same siiz guys who are willing to compete um so just being able to be mindful that no matter if you’re the smallest guy on the court

Or the biggest you have to pret you have to really go out there and and be present and be a person that you know no one can waver be able to be be able to say that he wasn’t here tonight be a person that people always understand the

Impact that you’re making even if it doesn’t show up in a stat sheet so for me um that’s how I focus on is just the physicality making sure that I play with the right energy make sure I play with the right intensity and everything takes

Care of itself and I got a couple of questions for you so your family is in Charlotte right now they’ve been in Charlotte this is still home for everyone absolutely everybody okay will they all get the game tonight yeah uh let’s just say mom got a little zealous

And did a suet or something I don’t know what she’s doing did you need to um I didn’t I didn’t have to do any of them I already said I already started that from the beginning I said listen I’m home I get four tickets to every game y’all got

To figure out what we’re doing but uh at the same time you want to make sure that your family’s there and be able to support and and love so um it’s going to be good to be able to have them here you know each night whether it’s all of them

Or whether it’s some of them and maybe they get tired of coming to games you know that’s what I got told about uh uh I think it was kmo told me that when he was here he said that you know eventually there’s going to come to a

Point where they said I’ve seen enough basketball I watch you on TV you know so it’ll be fun was Kima your favorite player watching the Hornets when you were growing up absolutely kima’s my he’s my me he’s a mentor to me but he’s also a teammate and a brother and

Somebody that I will always you know constantly rely on and um he’s a person that if you if you you guys have been around him one of the most cheerful energies has a has a personality that lights up the room and I’m blessed to be out of the relationship that I have with

The friendship and um I’m just thankful to be able hopefully take this organization to where he was trying to take it last question for you just with stth coming as well having a familiar face here and both of from here did you guys talk about that at all is it kind

Of cool just being a for both you absolutely we talked about on the plane we talked about it in the car you know it’s exciting because you know like you said we’re surrounded by friends family even Seth you know we have Mr Mr Curry in the back back right there and uh it’s

Funny because we always talk about the golf that we could potentially have and the fun fun times but also understanding that this is something that as a kid you always wanted to play for your hometown team you always wanted to um create something special here because you know

As a kid you know you wanted the same give the same joy that you had when you were that that age so um we’re here to provide that we’re here to provide that professionalism and that discipline and we’re excited to take on this challenge Aus think you’re wearing the number two

That just because was available oh no number two has been my number since young age it’s something that has very real simous for me it’s I’ve always wanted to wear in the league and Boston was retired in Dallas I came came to too late so so coming here I was able to you

Know get back to the number that I really love and and you know there’s a lot of background behind but that’s the story Grant nice to meet you we talked about the patience space in the NBA can you just talk about your game being able to Excel without the ball in your hands

And how you can kind of serve as an ancillary piece yeah um the best thing I’ll say is just being a person that can be a hub but also be a person that even if he doesn’t touch this ball can make an impact and that’s really my my

Mentality is just if I get the touches if I have the ability to create and and make better plays for either myself or others I’ll do that and if it’s a game where I don’t touch it then guess what I got to defend lock up and be a person

That you know not only just walks to walk but if he’s going to talk he really steps up who’s your biggest influence as far as leadership I mean you’re 25 years old walking into a locker room they had some stars but they’re younger and they they

Need some somebody to step up and talk who is the guy that you relied on with earlier in your career I’ve always been pretty talkative from the start so but fortunately enough I had had a bunch of guys who you know Blake Griffin Al Horford um Kima a bunch of guys who and

At the time we were all the same age so JT JB and we were all able to just communicate with one another in a direct way and that’s kind of how we are here it’s like I might be considered older but I’ve played against some of these

Guys in college I played against some of these guys in high school so um having that level of respect for one another as players but also being able to hold one another accountable because our ultimate goal here has to be winning it’s got to be priority it’s got to be the main

Focus you know always you know the um what’s the saying that you um the big tide whatever it is where you have everybody wants when everyone goes together you know when you do an individually you could average 25 points individually on a quote losing team and

Then not get the contract you want so um when you’re winning it takes care of a lot of things even if you’re averaging six points and that’s something I’ve I’ve learned even just my past experience I was in Boston for four years and I averaged I think six points

Or seven points over there my career and I was able to get a comfortable contract that can take care of my life and my family’s life so understanding that and teaching that you know no matter if you have 26 points or if you have four points if we won the

Game that’s got to be the the main priority and focus and then trust that just because you have four points this night doesn’t mean you won’t have a game where you go off and we’re going to rely on you the next night you know this a

Game of 82 games here in this NBA so there’s going to be a bunch of opportunity a bunch of potential so just focus on the number one priority

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