The Boston Celtics had a celebrity referee on hand for their scrimmage Tuesday at the Auerbach Center, as their players on their Summer League roster got in some simulated game action.
It was none other than current Celtics forward Grant Williams who officiated the scrimmage.
Getting handed the whistle and having the responsibility to dole out fouls must have been an unusual feeling for Williams. The third-year big man is known to vehemently complain to referees on a routine basis during games, which led to assistant coach Ben Sullivan poking fun at Williams for his role reversal.
“Grant was fine,” Sullivan said, according to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. “It’s good for Grant to see how hard officiating actually is, so that when he is hard on them he can have a better perspective. No one can give him as hard a time as he gives the refs.”
All joking aside, this experience for Williams could actually be beneficial for him. At points during the season, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka benched Williams for complaining to referees during the course of play.
With Williams in a referee’s shoes for once, hopefully, he has learned a valuable lesson that will prevent him from reaming them out in the future.
The Celtics begin their Summer League slate when they take on the Miami Heat on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
