Club 520 Podcast: Grant Williams on Being Teammates w/ Jeff Teague, Guarding Joel Embiid & Steph Curry, Luka vs. Tatum

Date: February 26, 2026
Podcast Hosts: Jeff Teague, DJ Wells, Bishop B Henn
Guest: Grant Williams
Episode Theme: Behind-the-scenes stories from Grant Williams’ NBA journey with a focus on teammates, wild NBA moments, and in-depth hoops talk

Episode Overview

This episode of Club 520 features NBA forward Grant Williams, who joins hosts Jeff Teague, DJ Wells, and Bishop B Henn for a lighthearted, in-depth, and sometimes hilarious sit-down. The group discusses Grant’s unique NBA experiences, from his early days with the Celtics to his stints with Dallas and Charlotte, memorable teammates, the realities of guarding NBA stars, and candid takes on basketball culture, trades, and life off the court.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin Stories and Early NBA Struggles

• Connecting with Jeff Teague in Boston (05:43)

  • Grant recalls navigating a tumultuous Celtics roster with Teague, stressing the uncertainty with Coach Brad Stevens’ rotations and trade scenarios.

    "There was no such thing as anything going on. No fans stands. Like, all we could do is freaking kick it at K walks and just vibe." – Grant Williams (06:12)

  • Both Grant and Jeff share how they actually asked the coach not to play them due to constant uncertainty, highlighting the lack of communication about playing-time decisions.

• Growing Up in Charlotte & Hornets Loyalty (08:19)

  • Grant talks about his Carolina roots and coming full circle to play for his hometown Hornets.

    "It's cool to be on the roster and impact winning to a point where you got a chance to, one, make the playoffs, two, be on a team that...Shaw ain't never seen the type of success that we've had yet." – Grant Williams (08:33)

2. Honest NBA Insights: Role, Development, and College Grind

• Going Undervalued and Proving Himself (18:27)

  • Grant shares stories of being under-recruited, called out for not working hard enough, and using it as motivation.

    “He said, ‘Cause you don’t work hard enough.’ That motivated the hell out [of me]...” – Grant Williams (19:07)

• Tennessee Basketball Drill Sergeant Stories (26:39)

  • Williams describes playing for Rick Barnes, the mental and physical toughness required, and ‘fat camp’ in college.

    “We had five AMs and we had one dude break out in the hives during the workout...Lockdown was every Saturday...6am to 10pm you had to be in the gym. No devices.” – Grant Williams (29:08)

  • On transforming his body in college: Lost 30 pounds in the first month, detailed his daily grind (28:08).

3. Celtics Draft Process & Early NBA Memories

• Draft Day Stories (30:40)

  • Grant explains wanting to outwork players projected ahead of him and unintentionally pushing everyone’s draft value down. He recounts the infamous "clipboard incident" during his Boston workout:

    “I took the clipboard, erased it, and then drew [the play]...You don't take the clipboard out of a coach's hand” – Grant Williams (33:22–34:22)

  • Got drafted at a friend’s house, avoided the green room jitters, and landed with the Celtics at #22 (35:42).

• Teammate Bonding: Vets that Paid it Forward

  • Kimba Walker’s mentorship and housing during COVID, Gordon Hayward’s lead-by-example approach.

    “K Walk was like, ‘Come live with me.’ So, like, I lived with K Walk the entire COVID until we went to the bubble.” – Grant Williams (38:12)

  • Emotional fan-to-teammate full-circle stories between Grant and Kemba (38:45).

4. Bubble Tales and Wild NBA Year Stories

• Life Inside the NBA Bubble (39:39)

  • The group swaps stories about how odd and isolating the NBA Bubble was. Grant talks about limited food, no fans, and absurd circumstances, like walking out of the locker room after games and seeing opponents right away.

    “You play a game, after a game, you can’t shower...there was nobody but dudes...Best food you can get on the bubble...You couldn’t order in from the start.” – Grant Williams (39:55–40:28)

  • LeBron’s special treatment in the bubble is highlighted for laughs (40:33).

• On-Court and Off-Court Adjustments During COVID (45:00)

  • The difficulty of playing with no fans and the awkward atmosphere of empty arenas.

5. Matchups, Guarding Superstars & Defensive Mentality

• Hardest Types of Players to Guard (55:48)

  • Grant names quick, skilled smaller guards as toughest:

    "For me, it’s always...short, that can shoot, that can go fast like Peyton [Pritchard], Darius Garland, Steph Curry, C.J. McCollum...I’d rather guard KD...it’s more fun..." – Grant Williams (55:48)

  • Reveals he’s most comfortable defending threes through fives and relishes the physicality of guarding bigs like Embiid, Giannis.

    “I like fighting, so respect.” – Grant Williams (57:21)

• Guarding Joel Embiid & Finals Experience (56:16–58:33)

  • Teague praises Grant’s work against Embiid; Grant breaks down playoff battles.
  • Discusses finals pressure, environment, and the moment Steph Curry "took over" in Game 4.

    “Steph, that Game four was ridiculous. I remember...I was like, yo, this is a different level of basketball player.” – Grant Williams (58:45–59:08)

• Battling Draymond Green (60:19)

  • Grant calls Draymond his favorite player growing up; every matchup turned competitive and physical.

    "Every time we play against him, it's smoke. Competitive. I think that he's the type of person that...talks all the shit in the world..." – Grant Williams (61:06)

6. Life After Boston, Trade Stories, and Luka vs. Tatum

• Dallas Mavericks Experience & Luka Doncic vs. Jayson Tatum (66:45–69:15)

  • Grant describes the dynamics of joining Dallas, the leadership expectations he faced, and how misconceptions about teammates like Kyrie Irving were shattered by real experiences.

    "All the misconceptions that I had across about [Kyrie], I was like, yo, this one of the best teammates I've ever had." – Grant Williams (67:51)

  • On Luka vs. Tatum:

    “The talent that I saw playing with Luka is absurd...JT impacts winning more...He can defend, he’s a playmaker...LD [Luka] controls the game, puts people in position...” – Grant Williams (68:08)

• Blockbuster Trade Aftermath (70:48–72:55)

  • Shocking player trades are broken down in real time, with candid player reactions and speculation about what Dallas wanted to do with Giannis or AD.

    "They wanted Giannis and AD in Dallas. I think that was the envision, the plan." – Grant Williams (71:18)

7. Comeback from Injury & Weight Manipulation for Matchups

• Adjustments After ACL and Getting Back on the Court (74:01)
  • First major injury made Grant reflect on patience and high standards for recovery:

    "Coming back from an injury has shown me that you have to be patient...but also understand that I can't be too patient..." – Grant Williams (74:08)

  • Describes manipulating weight for playoff matchups:

    "That finals run, I used to manipulate my weight...I used to try and do that." – Grant Williams (75:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “K Walk was like, ‘Come live with me.’ So, like, I lived with K Walk the entire COVID until we went to the bubble.” (38:12)
• "[In the bubble] You play a game, after a game, you can’t shower...there was nobody but dudes..." (39:55)
• "Every time we play against [Draymond], it’s smoke...he’s the type of person that...talks all the shit in the world." (61:06)
• On Luka vs. Tatum: “The talent I saw playing with Luka is absurd...JT impacts winning more...he can defend, he’s a playmaker...LD controls the game...” (68:08)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 05:43 | Meeting and playing with Teague in Boston | | 08:19 | Growing up in Charlotte, Hornets connection | | 18:27 | Being undervalued as a college recruit | | 26:39 | Drills, ‘fat camp,’ and grind under Rick Barnes | | 30:40 | Draft day, Celtics workout, ‘clipboard story’ | | 38:12 | Kemba Walker taking Grant in during COVID | | 39:39 | NBA bubble stories; LeBron’s special privileges | | 45:00 | Playing in empty arenas post-bubble | | 55:48 | Guarding different NBA star types | | 56:16 | Guarding Embiid, playoff and Finals stories | | 60:19 | Draymond Green battles and mutual respect | | 66:45 | Transition to Dallas, Luka vs. JT analysis | | 70:48 | Trade aftermath and Dallas’ big-name ambitions | | 74:01 | Injury recovery, changing body for basketball matchups|

Fun Extra: Sports Card Ripping

Grant brings the crew boxes of football cards to open live on the pod, explaining the allure of prospecting cards, and how rare pulls can be worth thousands — a fun analogy to being a GM prospecting NBA talent (76:40–79:57).

Conclusion

This episode is a must-listen for any NBA junkie, full of candid behind-the-scenes stories, technical hoops talk, and the camaraderie that defines the best basketball podcasts. Grant Williams delivers a wealth of insight on what it means to grind through adversity, the real experience of NBA locker rooms, and what makes teammates — and opponents — legendary.

For more episodes: Follow @club520podcast on socials. Episodes drop weekly.