“At first I thought, ‘Wow, am I in a 2K simulation?’ “Williams said. “You go to the scorer’s table, you look at it and you say, ‘Wow, I’m about to be a substitute in an NBA game.’ And you go through the same euphoria and joy that you started your career with.”
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It wasn’t just another game for the former Tennessee basketball star. It was his first in more than a calendar year after tearing his ACL in November 2024. Williams was traded to the Hornets from the Dallas Mavericks before the 2024-25 season, but his first season in Charlotte ended prematurely due to the injury.
“It’s been a long time,” he said. “It’s a long process. It’s exhausting. But I’m happy to be back. It showed me a different side of myself, it allowed me to be vulnerable with myself and I think it challenged me to be a better leader, a better person and also a better basketball player and a better athlete.”
On January 28 at FedExForum, Williams had two points and three rebounds as the Hornets beat the Grizzlies 112-97.
The Hornets (20-28) spent the first part of the season plagued by multiple injuries to key players, but began to improve in January and have won four in a row.
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“Defensively, we’ve taken a big step in growth,” Williams said. “Embrace the idea of ​​being a multi-sided basketball team, not just a team that only plays defense when their offense is going well. I give a lot of credit to every person on this roster.”
Williams starred for Tennessee from 2016 to 2019 and was a first-team All-American in 2019. He remained involved with the Vols and donated $1.5 million to the University of Tennessee Foundation in September 2025.
He follows the current team closely, but said “it’s frustrating me right now.” Tennessee is 14-6 (4-3 SEC) after beating Georgia in overtime on January 28.
“I need them to go back to who they are,” Williams said. “I feel like Nate Ament has had a great season. Jaylen Carey’s injury made me nervous the other night. But overall, Coach (Rick) Barnes is coaching them hard. I know he’s doing the best he can. The group just has to keep trusting him, keep accepting but also keep competing. I think they’ve lost a lot of tough games, but also a lot of little mistakes that they can control for the postseason they’re going to have.”
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Contact sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or at X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared in the Memphis Commercial Appeal: Hornets’ Grant Williams talks ACL recovery and Tennessee basketball season.