Jayson Tatum trolled by Boston Celtics teammate over Duke March Madness loss
Jayson Tatum was watching his alma mater Duke get hammered down the stretch of the Blue Devils’ 65-52 loss to Tennessee on March 18 during the 2023 March Madness tournament Round of 32 matchup, and former Volunteer and Boston Celtics teammate Grant Williams wasn’t letting the MVP candidate down easy (WARNING: NSFW LANGUAGE).
Grant Williams trolling Jayson Tatum after Tennessee beat Duke 💀 pic.twitter.com/YovmN8oJsG
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) March 18, 2023
Williams played at Tennessee from 2016-2019 before being drafted with the No. 22 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Tatum played at Duke under Coach K for one season before being selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 draft.
The two never crossed paths in college with Duke playing in the ACC and Tennessee in the SEC, but when it comes to the Big Dance, rivalries form on the spot. Williams’ underdog Volunteers got the better of the interconference clash in the first season post-Coach K’s retirement at Duke.
Grant Williams outplayed Jayson Tatum in Boston Celtics loss to Jazz
Tatum took multiple losses on March 18, with Duke’s loss being followed up with a 118-117 loss for the undermanned Boston Celtics roster on the second night of a back-to-back to the Jazz. The 25-year-old shot just 4/12 and was a team-worst -13 against Utah. To make matters worse for Tatum, the Tennessee product Williams outscored Tatum 23-15.
In all seriousness, Tatum, or any other Celtics fan for that matter, had no issues with Williams shooting 7/12 from beyond the arc. Amassing performances like that could make Williams a rich man this summer when the forward hits restricted free agency.
The Cs will need more of those as it looks to stave off the 76ers for the No. 2 seed. Philadelphia is ahead of Boston in the loss column as of March 19, and homecourt in the second round is no longer guaranteed amidst a post-All-Star break malaise.