NBA Rumors: Grant Williams Apologized to Jayson Tatum for Hard Foul in Celtics' Win

Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams reportedly apologized to Jayson Tatum for committing a hard foul against his former teammate.

According to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, Williams and Tatum had a conversation after the Boston Celtics' 113-103 win over the Hornets on Friday.

"According to an NBA source, the two did talk following Friday's game, with Williams apologizing for the hard foul," Washburn wrote. "Tatum initially did not want to speak with reporters for a second consecutive night; he eventually agreed, but did not want to discuss Williams or the incident."

After the Celtics pulled away in the fourth quarter and held a nine-point lead with roughly two minutes remaining, Williams collided with Tatum in transition and sent the five-time All-Star to the floor. Tatum wasn't injured, but Williams was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game.

While Tatum declined to address the play, Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown didn't consider the foul to be unintentional.

"He hit him like it was a football play," Brown said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "Like, Ray Lewis coming across the middle or something. It is what it is. Grant know better than that."

Williams and Tatum spent four years together in Boston from the 2019-20 season through the team's 2022-23 campaign. Both players helped the Celtics reach the NBA Finals in 2022.

While emotions appeared to be high during Boston's win over Charlotte, Williams made sure to express regret to his former teammate for committing the flagrant foul after the final buzzer sounded.