Grant Williams to Jimmy Butler in Celtics-Heat G2: 'Hell No, Motherf--ker, I'm Here'
July 21, 2023
The answer to "What did Grant Williams say to make Jimmy Butler so mad?" has finally been revealed.
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics was a pivotal turning point in the series as Butler and the Heat took a 2-0 lead after the Miami superstar went supernova following a face-to-face exchange with Williams in the fourth quarter
While appearing on Theo Pinson's "Run Your Race" podcast, the former Celtics forward broke down one of the most heated moments of the entire postseason and one that'll go down in Heat-Celtics lore.
Tidal League @TidalLeagueWhat the hell did Grant Williams say to Jimmy? <br><br>Via: Run Your Race | <a href="https://twitter.com/tpinsonn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tpinsonn</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/Grant2Will?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Grant2Will</a> <a href="https://t.co/P0bm2jIW12">pic.twitter.com/P0bm2jIW12</a>
"We're playing that game, I think we're up by eight, I'm playing well. And Jimmy says, 'Hell no, he ain't here.'," Williams said (h/t HoopsHype). "So I made a three and I said, 'Hell no, motherf--ker, I'm here.' I said it to him, barking, because I'm always gonna respond. I never talk trash myself… I'm not a trash talker, I'm too nerdy. Next thing you know, I'm saying 'Hell no, motherf--ker, I'm here.'
"… So next thing you know, that happens, then, the next play, Jimmy, hesi, boom, stops, pivots, and-1. So Jimmy says, 'I'm here, too, motherf--ker' And so I'm like, 'I don't give a f--k,' we're going back and forth, because I'm not backing down. We were missing in that series, they were punking us the entire time."
Much Like Dillon Brooks in the Grizzlies series against the Lakers, Williams learned the hard way not to "poke the bear."
Boston was up nine points following a Williams' three-pointer midway through the fourth quarter and looked well on their way to tying the series up and putting themselves in the driver seat heading to Miami.
Instead, sparked by an insatiable rage and instinct to troll Williams at every turn following the confrontation, Butler and the Heat went on a 22-9 run to close out the game, eventually taking a commanding 3-0 lead after Game 3 and winning the series in seven games.
Butler ended up admitting that the trash talk lit a fire in him that night.
"Yes, it did," Butler said. "But that's just competition at its finest. He hit a big shot, started talking to me. I like that. I'm all for that. It makes me key in a lot more. It pushes that will that I have to win a lot more. It makes me smile. It does. When people talk to me, I'm like, OK, I know I'm a decent player, if you want to talk to me out of everybody that you can talk to."
Butler finished the night with a team-high 27 points to go along with eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks in a dominant showing, particularly down the stretch.
Williams had to shoulder a lot of the blame for the loss because he seemingly woke Butler up but was one of the only players that showed some fight from the Celtics throughout the series.
Boston will miss some of that fire this upcoming season after Williams ended up in Dallas via a sign and trade.
B/R Recommends