Boston Celtics rookie Robert Williams has artery condition in both of his legs

The condition is not considered serious at the moment, but could require a procedure later on

Boston Celtics rookie Robert Williams, whom the team selected with the 27th overall pick in June's draft, has an artery condition in his legs, the 20-year-old confirmed to the Boston Globe on Tuesday

The condition was first reported by MassLive on Monday, and Williams later acknowledged the condition, noting that he's had sporadic flare-ups over the past few years.

"Yeah, it was just a time-to-time thing,'' Williams told the Globe. "I haven't been dealing with it for a while really. The last time was in the middle of my college season last year.''  

More on the condition from MassLive:

Boston Celtics rookie Robert Williams has an artery condition in both of his legs, multiple sources tell MassLive.

A source described the condition as, "not too serious." It could, however, require a procedure if it were to degenerate down the line.

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES), the vascular disease Williams has been dealing with, is found most often in athletes. Because of where the muscles and tendons around Williams' knee are positioned, they end up compressing the "popliteal artery," the main one behind the knee, restricting blood flow to the lower leg. It can lead to cramping and calf pain during exercise, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.

At 20 years old, Williams is a 6-foot-10 shot-blocking specialist expected to make a run at the Celtics' rotation next season. He averaged 10.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks at Texas A&M as a sophomore before declaring for the NBA Draft.