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Robert Williams, Boston Celtics
Robert Williams spent five seasons with the Boston Celtics. He was drafted by the franchise with the 27th pick in 2018, and while he dealt with injury issues throughout his tenure, he developed into a fan favorite.
Williams’ athleticism, passing, and shot-blocking ability made him a dynamic member of Boston’s rotation. He was also a key part of the roster that reached the 2022 NBA Finals.
However, he was shipped to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the deal that acquired Jrue Holiday ahead of the 2023-24 season. Boston won a championship in its first year without Williams.
When speaking to the media following Portland’s 102-94 loss to the Celtics, the shot-blocking center opened up on the emotions he felt watching his former team reach the mountain top.
“Yeah, I watched the whole Finals,” Williams said. “I watched them win it, and I went through a moment of saying I was happy for my dogs. Then I went through it was mixed emotions, but I’m glad they did it.”
Unfortunately for Williams, his injury issues have followed him to Portland. He’s played in 57 games in the two and a half seasons since leaving the Celtics. However, now that he’s back healthy, he will undoubtedly hope to put those issues behind him.
“Honestly, man, I’m just glad I’m here,” Williams said. “Glad I’m playing back on the court. I got to play against old friends, playing with my new guys. Just happy to be back. I couldn’t be more blessed.”
Jrue Holiday Speaks On Facing Celtics
Williams wasn’t the only former Celtics player suiting up for the Trail Blazers. Jrue Holiday was playing in his first game back at the TD Garden since being traded last summer.
During his own postgame news conference, Holiday discussed what it was like to be going up against his old teammates.
“You know, it’s just like family,” Holiday said. “There’s a normalcy to it. You know, you spend so much time with them that they become family and then all of a sudden, you’re on a different team. So, it’s always good to see them. It’s fun, it’s cat and mouse. It’s definitely a different type of challenge. I feel like as competitors, we both love it, so it was fun to go out there to play.”
Holiday ended the game with 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. He shot 45.5% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range.
Celtics Maintain Second Spot In The East
With their win over the Trail Blazers, the Celtics have maintained their spot as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The Toronto Raptors are rapidly closing in and now sit just one game behind Boston, with the New York Knicks falling to fourth.
With half of the season already gone, there’s a legitimate seeding battle shaping up in the East, with just two games separating the Celtics in second and the Cleveland Cavaliers in fifth.
Boston is 6-4 in its last 10 games. Joe Mazzulla’s team will need to string a run of wins together if it wants to build a safety net between itself and the chasing pack.
Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Miami Heat for Heavy. He holds bylines for CelticsBlog, USA Today and Yardbarker. Adam also covers the WWE and AEW. He has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor
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