Photo by Kasey Shamis | The Triangle

Former Dragon Amari Williams makes his NBA Debut 

When Damion Lee made his NBA debut with the Atlanta Hawks on March 13, 2018, he became Drexel’s first NBA player in nearly a decade. Lee logged 15 minutes, scored 13 points, grabbed four rebounds, and shot 5-of-10 from the field (3-of-5 from three). Before him, the last Dragon to reach the league was Malik Rose, who debuted back in 1996. On Oct. 24, 2025, Amari Williams joined that exclusive company, making his debut for the Boston Celtics, seven and a half years after Lee’s first game in Atlanta.

In the first season game of his professional career, Williams only logged one minute of game action in a 105-95 loss to the New York Knicks, but in that time, he was able to secure his first NBA rebound. His debut followed a solid preseason where he averaged 2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game on just 5.4 minutes per night. More notably, the big man was a perfect 3-3 from the field across three games. 

Williams signed a two-way contract with the Celtics on Aug. 18, 2025. This allows Williams to play up to 50 regular-season NBA games this season. When he is not with the team, he will play for the franchise’s G-League team, the Maine Celtics.  

As Drexel saw nightly when he patrolled the paint for the Dragons, Williams provided a commanding presence under the rim, which could prove to be useful for the Celtics this season. As he continues to progress and earn the trust of head coach Joe Mazulla, it would not be a surprise to see the former 3x CAA Defensive Player of the Year become a key rotational piece in Boston.Â