Grant Williams said Boston Celtics teammate Kemba Walker extended an offer for the rookie to live with him during quarantine and the two have been roommates at Walker’s Charlotte, North Carolina home while waiting to see what becomes of the 2019-20 season.
“For as much as I talk, I’m glad that he even considered it,” quipped Williams.
For Williams, who grew up and played his high school ball in Charlotte, being around familiar places but still being able to absorb from a veteran teammate has maximized his quarantine experience.
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"It’s been amazing,” said Williams. "Just hanging out. Relaxing, being able to get to know each other better, as well as work out together because we’re here, we’re isolated … It was just a great decision.
“[Walker] actually offered it because I was debating even coming home and I was worried because I knew I was going to be either in and out of the house, working out at different places, if possible, or going somewhere to at least stay active. … He said, ‘If you want, you can always stay with me,’ and I took him up on the offer and I’m thankful for him.”
Williams said that Walker has both a weight room and a basketball court on the grounds of what’s listed as an 8,000-square foot home online, which allows the rookie to stay sharp in all facets of the game.
What kind of roommate is Walker?
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"He’s great because he’s comfortable. He’s very to himself,” said Williams. "He relaxes a lot and takes care of himself. He’s not really high maintenance or anything like that. So he’s a great dude. In general, he’s one of the best human beings I’ve met throughout this process. He’s a genuine guy. So all he does really is just relax, play games, and watch film, basically. Do everything he can working out too, so that’s about all.”
Williams said he’s kept busy during quarantine by both mentoring a group of kids back in Boston and learning new card games to keep his mind active.
“Honestly, I’ve done a lot,” said Williams. "I’ve tried to stay active. I picked up that mentor program with my kids. I actually have a call with them after I get off the call with [reporters]. And trying to keep them engaged and their minds flowing because they’re in Boston right now and on their own, not able to see friends and stuff. So I’m trying to give them light in kind of the darkness.
"And then also I’ve done a lot of card games because Kemba enjoys cards. I’ve learned how to play Dominion because Mike Zarren, our assistant GM, plays that. So I was like, you know what, I’ll pick that up, too. So I’ve been playing that on my laptop or iPad all the time. Honestly, just whatever is suggested. I have Spades on my phone, Uno on my phone, chess on my phone. I could go down the list. And also video games. I’ve been playing Call of Duty. And I spend my time with basketball, too. So film. And trying to stay active and FaceTime with my family, trying to keep in touch.”
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Williams said he’s hopeful he gets his first taste of the playoffs if the NBA season resumes. He’s confident the league will prioritize player safety and is on board with a neutral site location like Orlando.
He said Celtics players are doing all they can to maintain the obvious chemistry that existed before the season paused.
“We definitely, as a team, keep in touch,” said Williams. "We honestly text every day, we have our group chat, and we do our thing to keep in contact and check in on each other, make sure everybody is staying active.
“The Celtics have done a great job of keeping us going with lifts. We can get on FaceTime or Zoom and all lift together and do certain things. So, at different times of the day, certain people might be in different time zones, depending on where you’re at. My group is definitely me, Tacko [Fall], Carsen [Edwards], Brad [Wanamaker], Semi [Ojeleye] — we have a big group. So we’ve been going for a while.”