When the Celtics visited the Spectrum Center to secure their fifth victory, they had no idea that the win would come at a heavy cost. In the first three quarters, the Hornets went toe-to-toe with the defending champions, but as the final quarter was slipping away from the home team, their reliable forward Grant Williams took matters into his own hands and made a foul on Jayson Tatum. The bitter reunion of the former teammates reminded social media fans of an old video, which they quickly dug up and made viral.

Two years ago, when Williams was in the Celtics, a clip surfaced on the internet that showed Tatum’s son Deuce’s cold behavior towards the Texan. Williams was in the Boston locker room fist-bumping his teammates, but as he put his hand forward to the little one, he didn’t return the gesture, instead walked away with his father.

Following this incident, questions were raised about a possible beef between Tatum Junior and Williams, which the latter dismissed by clarifying there was no such issue. During his appearance on the Hoop Chat last year, Williams called Deuce his “guy” and said with a big smile, “It’s one of those love-hate things. That’s my little brother always.” Considering Deuce’s age (four back then), one can easily figure out that he probably had mood swings. However, fans are now speculating that Deuce already saw it coming from Williams.

During the final quarter, Tatum was making his way to the other end of the court, aiming to add another bucket or assist to his name. Williams came in from the side with full force and intentionally pushed the 5-time All-Star. Both players fell to the floor after the collision, and the atmosphere in the arena turned tense. A review of the event made the game official hand a flagrant foul of type 2 to Williams, who could be suspended by the league. While his teammates chirped about it after the game, Tatum remained tight-lipped.

Jayson Tatum maintains silence on ex-teammate’s brutal action

Following the 124-109 victory, Jayson Tatum chose not to comment on Williams’ foul. The topic surfaced during an interview, but the 26-year-old seemed taken aback that his former teammate of nearly four seasons with the Celtics would pull such a move. Rather than getting caught up in the incident, Tatum let his game do the talking, responding with a standout performance on the court.

Tatum led the Celtics with a game-high 32 points, adding three assists and pulling down 11 rebounds. Though he remained quiet about the incident, Williams clarified his intentions after the loss, saying he’d never intentionally hurt Tatum. “We all know that Jay is one of my closest friends in the league,” Williams said. “That’s my guy. No matter what happens, I look out for him.” He emphasized that there was “no bad intention” behind the foul.

Intentional or not, Williams’ move couldn’t overshadow Tatum, who dazzled with his masterful shooting. Entering his seventh NBA season in beast mode, Tatum is setting a tone that could motivate others. If he keeps his performance steady and showcases his skills all season, he’s undoubtedly in the running for the MVP title—a goal he’s had his sights on for some time.