New Mavericks forward Grant Williams called out by Jimmy Butler's agent

In the world of professional sports, intense rivalries and trash-talking are often part of the game. However, sometimes players take it a step too far, and that's precisely what happened with new Dallas Mavericks forward Grant Williams. The young NBA star recently found himself in hot water after sharing a supposedly-fake trash-talk story involving Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.

During a recent appearance on the "Run Your Race" podcast, Williams recalled a heated exchange with Butler during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat this past postseason.

New Mavericks forward Grant Williams called out by Jimmy Butler's agent

With just six minutes remaining in the game, the Celtics had managed to extend their lead by seven points after Williams confidently sunk a three-pointer. Seizing the opportunity to rattle Williams, Jimmy Butler tried to get under his skin with some trash talk. However, instead of wilting under pressure, Williams found himself fueled by the exchange and caught a wave of momentum.

Following Butler's attempted taunt, Williams responded in an emphatic fashion, hitting back with the same intensity. The young Mavs' forward promptly fired back with a sharp retort.

"Jimmy says like ‘Hell no,’ he ain’t here. So I made a three, and I said hell no mother(expletive), I’m here. I said that to him, barking, you know because I’m not going to let him (do that). I’m always going to respond."

Grant Williams

"You know I scored our last 10 points? And he [Butler] had eight... Strus made a 3, Vincent made a 3, so they ended up winning the game, if that doesn't happen, we win the game, no one brings that up"

Grant Williams

Williams' story pleased many fans on the internet, as it highlighted the competitive spirit between the two players during the crucial playoff games. He even added that it was all love between him and Butler, suggesting that their rivalry was all in good fun.

However, the mood quickly changed when Butler's agent, Bernard Lee, took to Twitter to call out Williams' account as a fake story. Lee retweeted Williams' tale and kept his call-out simple.

Contrary to Williams' claims, he only recorded four points (excluding the three-pointer) following the altercation, not the impressive 10 points he boasted about. Additionally, he incorrectly stated that he scored the last 10 points for the Celtics, which was far from reality. In fact, Butler had nine points once the trash-talking began, and it was he who stepped up to score the game-tying and go-ahead buckets for the Miami Heat.

Adding to his inaccurate account of the game, Williams also made mistakes about the contributions of his teammates. According to him, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent hit crucial three-pointers to bring Miami closer to the Celtics' total. However, in reality, Strus made three free throws, and Vincent hit just one three-pointer down the stretch.

As fans eagerly await Butler's response or confirmation, it raises concerns about the authenticity of stories shared by athletes and the potential consequences of spreading misinformation in the sports world. Whether Williams was simply trying to build hype or genuinely believed in the story remains unclear.

Williams' attempt to gain some spotlight with his trash-talk story has now backfired, and the consequences of his actions may have a lasting impact on his reputation as a player in the league.