For Amari Williams, the towering seven-foot center drafted by the Boston Celtics at No. 46 in the 2025 NBA Draft, the day begins not with a typical American breakfast but with a UK classic: Weetabix. This light, crispy, whole-grain cereal, a staple in his hometown of Nottingham, England, is more than just a meal—it’s his game-day ritual. “I only have Weetabix on game days,” Williams shared with Forbes during the Celtics’ Summer League stint in Las Vegas. To his surprise, the breakfast table at the team’s hotel offered his beloved cereal, a rare find in the U.S. that sparked joy in the rookie. Whether paired with warm milk and sugar or drizzled with honey, as he recently experimented, Weetabix fuels Williams for the battles ahead on the court.
But it’s not just his breakfast choice that’s turning heads. Williams, a former Kentucky Wildcat who helped propel his team to the Sweet 16 in 2025, is bringing an unexpected arsenal of skills to Boston, blending guard-like finesse with the physicality of a traditional big man. His journey from a guard in his youth to a versatile seven-footer with a seven-foot-five wingspan has crafted a player whose unique abilities are catching the attention of coaches and teammates alike.
Williams wasn’t always destined to dominate the paint. As a teenager, he played as a guard, zipping around the court at five-foot-11. A growth spurt that shot him to six-foot-four by age 15—and eventually to seven feet—forced a positional shift, but Williams retained the agility, ball-handling, and passing prowess of his early days. “My high school team played positionless basketball,” he told Forbes. “Anyone could push it in transition.” That versatility is now his secret weapon, one that’s sparking excitement in Boston.
Celtics assistant coach Matt Reynolds, who led the team during Summer League, sees Williams as a rare breed. “Traditional centers don’t switch like he can,” Reynolds said. “He’s got long arms, good instincts, and active hands. He can guard one-on-one against speed or size.” Williams’ soccer background, honed on the pitches of Nottingham, gives him a nimbleness uncommon for a player of his stature. “It helped a lot, just being able to move quicker than the average big,” he noted. This mobility, paired with his massive wingspan, makes him a defensive force capable of rejecting shots and deterring drives to the rim.
Yet, it’s his offensive game that’s truly shocking coaches. Williams’ passing ability, honed during his guard days, is nothing short of elite. “I didn’t even know he was a good passer, like such a good passer,” Celtics teammate Jordan Walsh exclaimed during Summer League. “I started cutting, and he’d find me every time. I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’” Baylor Scheierman, another teammate, echoed the sentiment: “His vision and passing ability are unique. It’s been a lot of fun playing off him.”
Williams models this part of his game after three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, studying the Denver star’s patience and precision. “It’s easy to throw passes right away, but you’ve got to see the game out,” Williams explained. “Patience and deciding when to throw the right pass—that’s what I’m working on.” This ability to facilitate from the center position allows Boston to rethink offensive schemes, freeing up scorers to operate off the ball while Williams brings it up the floor or delivers pinpoint dimes to cutters.
Williams’ impact extends beyond his on-court skills. His protective, team-first mentality has made him a locker room favorite. “He’s incredibly protective of his teammates,” said Kentucky coach Mark Pope, who worked with Williams during his final collegiate season. “He loves his guys, his staff—they matter to him. He’d take a bullet for them, and that’s not a cliché.” Pope, who spoke exclusively to Forbes, raved about Williams’ character, noting that he’ll be “a welcome addition” to Boston’s tight-knit culture.
That bond was evident during Kentucky’s 2025 NCAA Tournament run. When Pope noticed Williams settling for toast before road games, he intervened, ensuring his star center had access to Weetabix in Lexington and even at an international store in Milwaukee. The result? Williams powered the Wildcats to the Sweet 16, and Big Blue Nation’s fervor for their center’s favorite cereal made it the top-selling cereal on Amazon, according to On3.com’s Tyler Thompson. The craze culminated in Williams landing on the cover of two personalized Weetabix boxes—a surreal moment for a player whose parents once forced him to eat it as a kid.
While Williams’ passing and defensive mobility are already turning heads, he’s not resting on his laurels. One area of focus is his screen-setting, a selfless skill he’s honing with Boston’s coaching staff. During a Summer League game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Williams set a bone-crunching screen on Jaylen Wells in the backcourt, helping the Celtics secure a 92-78 victory. “I try to do it anytime I can to get the pressure off the guards,” he said. “Boston emphasized it a lot in training camp, so I’m taking pride in it and trying to get better.”
Williams is also drawing inspiration from fellow Brit Tosan Evbuomwan, an NBA veteran who played alongside him at Summer League with the Nets. Evbuomwan’s advice? “Go out there and be aggressive,” Williams recalled. “I came out timid in some games, but I learned I’ve got to go get it myself sometimes.” That assertive mindset is key as Williams transitions from a two-way contract to, potentially, a rotation role with the defending champions.
Amari Williams is more than a seven-foot center with a knack for Weetabix. He’s a defensive dynamo with the agility to switch across positions, an offensive hub whose passing rivals the league’s best, and a punishing screen-setter eager to grow. His unique blend of skills—forged through a childhood as a guard, sharpened on the soccer pitch, and polished at Kentucky—has coaches and teammates buzzing about his potential.
As he adapts to the NBA’s breakneck pace, Williams is embracing Evbuomwan’s call to play with aggression while leaning on his breakfast ritual to fuel his rise. With his rare skill set and selfless spirit, the Celtics’ rookie is poised to carve out a lasting role in Boston—and perhaps elevate Weetabix to new heights in the process.