Robert Williams III Opens Up About Recovery From Knee Surgery
Williams spoke to reporters for the first time since a November knee surgery cut his first season with the Trail Blazers short at six games.
📍 PORTLAND, Ore. — “It’s good to be up here again,” Robert Williams III said as he sat down at the podium for his end-of-season exit interview on Friday night, following a completely meaningless Trail Blazers loss to Houston in their final home game of the regular season.
It was the first time Williams had spoken with reporters since he suffered a torn right knee ligament back in November, which required season-ending surgery.
In an ideal world, Williams would have been integral to the first year of Portland’s post-Damian Lillard rebuild. When he came over from Boston along with Malcolm Brogdon in the Jrue Holiday trade that closely followed the Lillard deal with Milwaukee, the Blazers envisioned him and Deandre Ayton as one of the best center tandems in the NBA. In the six games he played at the beginning of the season, Williams made good on his end of that. It’s been years since Portland has had a rim protector that impactful.
The caveat, as it has always been, was Williams’ health. With the Celtics, he underwent two surgeries on his left knee and only played 50 or more games twice in five seasons. The right knee ligament he tore in November required the most serious surgery he’s had yet, ending his season when it had barely started.
"It was pretty tough,” Williams said. “But it was eye-opening. I got a chance to work on stuff while I was put down for a minute."
Despite the depressing nature of the circumstances—talking after a largely lost season that he barely played in—Williams was just as I’ve found him in my handful of conversations with him over the year: thoughtful, philosophical, funny.
And cautiously optimistic about his health and prospects of being ready to go for next season.