Robert Williams and the Celtics got to see a few familiar faces Sunday with Terry Rozier, Brad Wanamaker and the Charlotte Hornets coming to Boston.
The Celtics ultimately had the last laugh against the Hornets as they earned a 116-86 victory at TD Garden. But Williams, specifically, was thrilled to see Rozier, who he called his “big brother.”
The two even swapped jerseys after the game.
“Yeah, that’s a great feeling seeing my brother, man — one of my big brothers I came in with,” Williams said on a postgame video conference. “He really took me and put me under his wing and showed me what it would be about. It’s always good seeing him. … It’s always good seeing old friends.”
Williams expressed the advice Rozier gave him back when the two were playing in Boston continues to stick with him.
“Yeah, he just always told me, ‘You’re going to be in tough situations.’ Obviously, minute-wise when I first came in I wasn’t playing a lot. But he saw the dog in me,” Williams said. “He told me, ‘No matter the tough situation you in just always have that fight in you, you’ll win in the end.’ So, I felt like I kind of kept that mindset.”
The 23-year-old Williams continues to play a high level for the Celtics, who improved back to .500 with Sunday’s win.
The Boston big man scored 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting in 25 minutes against the Hornets. He added eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in the effort, too.
Williams and the Celtics will return to the floor Tuesday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers.
