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10 best Tennessee basketball NBA careers ever

By Joey Loose

Feb 5, 2011; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Tobia Harris (12) reaches for a loose ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Crimson Tide beat the Volunteers 65-60. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2011; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Tobia Harris (12) reaches for a loose ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Crimson Tide beat the Volunteers 65-60. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 3, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams (12) shoots for three points against Philadelphia 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton (8) in the third quarter during game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
May 3, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams (12) shoots for three points against Philadelphia 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton (8) in the third quarter during game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Tennesse basketball best NBA career No.10: Grant Williams

One of the more recent stars for the Volunteers, Grant Williams was a talented power forward recruited from Houston, joining Tennessee back in 2016. He’d spent three seasons keying the Volunteers under Rick Barnes and they were three pretty successful years.

Williams put up decent numbers in his college career, averaging 15.7 points and 6.5 rebounds across those three seasons. During that junior season, he led Tennessee to the Sweet Sixteen, won a second-straight SEC Player of the Year and was a First Team All-American.

After starring in the college game, Williams got his shot at the pro level as he was selected 22nd overall by the Boston Celtics in 2019. The former SEC star has played a minor role for the Celtics the last four seasons, though his minutes and productivity have improved with each subsequent season, averaging 8.1 points a game this current year.

Williams played in the NBA finals in his third season and has potential to carve out a decent career in the NBA. It’s hard to rank him higher on this list with these limited opportunities, but he’s just under 1,000 career rebounds and has decent scoring numbers to this point. Anything could happen in the future for Williams, but he’s had four decent enough years, even if it’s mostly been as a reserve.

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