Col. Nicholas “Matrix” Ihde talks about the training at Ebbing ANGB
Col. Nicholas “Matrix” Ihde, commander of the 85th Fighter Group, talks about the role of training pilots from Poland, Singapore, Finland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Switzerland at Ebbing ANGB in Fort Smith, Ark.
Fort Smith will hold a parade for NBA champions and local athletes Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe on July 24.Both players are from Fort Smith and played together in high school and college.The OKC Thunder won the NBA title with a record of 68-14, led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.Williams and Joe were contributors to the Thunder’s championship run.
Fort Smith will celebrate the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s win of the NBA title with two of its own, as the city will present Thunder In the Fort on July 24, featuring a parade for Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe down Garrison Avenue.
The event begins at 4 p.m. at the Bakery District, with the parade starting at 6 p.m. Williams and Joe will return to the Bakery District after the parade for speeches.
For Michael Beaumont, the Fort Smith athletics and activities director, it’s almost a storybook tale.
“You have two young men from the same city, who went to the same middle school, the same high school, and won a state championship,” Beaumont said. “They end up at the same college in their home state, and end up on the same team together and win an NBA world championship. That’s pretty good for a couple of kids from Fort Smith, Arkansas.”
The Thunder finished with a franchise‑record 68–14 (.829), capturing the Northwest Division and the top seed in the Western Conference. They led the league in net rating (+12.8) and outscored opponents by an average of 12.9 points per game, surpassing even the legendary 1971–72 Lakers. The team was ranked fourth in offensive rating (120.3) and first in defensive rating (107.5).
Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander averaged 32.7 PPG (league high), 6.4 APG, and 51.9% shooting, earning both the NBA MVP and Finals MVP honors. Chet Holmgren (8.7 RPG, 2.2 BPG), Isaiah Hartenstein (10.7 RPG), Jalen Williams (All-NBA 3rd), along with key contributors like Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso, anchored a versatile, deep roster.
Jaylin Williams averaged 5.9 PPG during the regular season with 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Joe averaged 10.2 PPG with 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
OKC opened the 2025 playoffs with a historic 51-point Game 1 win over Memphis (131–80). In the Western Conference championship, the Thunder defeated the Timberwolves 4–1, including a 124–94 Game 5 blowout, to advance to the finals.
OKC needed the full 17 days to triumph over the Indiana Pacers 4–3. The deciding Game 7 saw them score over 100 points, the first time since 1988 in a Finals decider, and became only the fourth team in NBA history to win 84 or more total games, including playoffs.
During his run with the Razorbacks (2020-22), Jaylin Williams averaged 7.9 PPG with 7.7 RPG. Joe also had two seasons with the Razorbacks (2018-20), during which he averaged 15.1 PPG.
As a senior at Northside, Joe led the Grizzlies to consecutive 7A state championships. He averaged 22.8 PPG, 3.4 APG, and 2.9 SPG as a senior. He was the 2018 USA TODAY Arkansas Player of the Year and the Gatorade Player of the Year for Arkansas that season as well.
Jaylin Williams was the 2020 Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year as a Northside senior, where he averaged 18.7 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.5 BPG, and 2.7 APG per game. The Grizzlies reached the semifinals in his senior year, and he played with Joe on the 2018 team that won the state title.
“It’s a whole lot easier to emulate someone who walked in the same hallways as you or worked out in the same gym. So, if you’re looking for someone to model, you can’t get any better than these guys,” said Beaumont. “They set the bar high, but I’m not talking about X’s and O’s, how hard they work, or their determination. I’m talking about their character. The personalities you see on the court, that’s who they are. They’ll be that way if you met them on Garrison, Walmart, or when they come home and hang out on the basketball court. They’re good kids who became good young men.”