Thunder forward Jaylin Williams said he’s grateful for the chance to bring a championship trophy back to his hometown, sign a new contract and enter training camp with the same hunger that fueled Oklahoma City’s title run.

Bringing the Trophy Home Was “Incredible”

Williams said the highlight of his offseason was sharing the championship trophy with his community and teammate Isaiah Hartenstein.

“Being in my hometown and like walking down the same streets I’ve been on my whole life and just being able to see people I’ve known my whole life, that they’ve seen me in the Boys and Girls Club or they’ve seen me at Kimmins Junior High, wherever it is, they see me everywhere just sharing that experience with them and sharing that experience with Zay,” Williams said. “Just knowing how much it meant to the city was incredible.”

Watch OKC Thunder Media Days below:

Watching JDub Play Hurt

Williams reflected on seeing Jalen “JDub” Williams compete through injury in the postseason.

Williams reflected on seeing Jalen “JDub” Williams compete through injury in the postseason.

“Yeah, that was a warrior. First off, he’s a competitor and he wants to compete at the highest level and he will compete regardless of what’s going on,” Williams said. “I think every game that he got a shot at the time that I was in, I can say that I can.

“But I was in the training room getting taped while he would go get a shot. So I would walk past him. He would like smack my leg or something. He would get his shot. He would come back out with a bandaid or whatever. He got a shot in. We would just talk about it. And I was in there when he got his first one. I was in there when he got his last one.

“And just seeing what he was willing to do just for the team and just to be able to win and compete at the highest level, how can you not go to war with a guy like that? And you want guys like that on your side.”

A New Contract Was a Family Moment

Williams described his new deal as a life-changing step for himself and his family.

““Yeah, it meant a lot,” he said. “The first thing I did after I realized I was going to sign the contract was got in a group FaceTime with my dad and my three brothers. And I think we all cried. We all just were on FaceTime looking at each other crying.

“So it meant a lot just being able to provide for my family and provide for people around me. And like I got a new house and it’s big enough now to where my family is going to come celebrate Christmas with me and Thanksgiving with me.

“And I’m super thankful that Sam, Mark and the whole Thunder organization believes in me and they’re putting me in a position be with my family and do those type of things in my family. There’s nothing in the world that tops me in order to do stuff like that.”

Grateful for His Role on the Team

Williams said he sees every opportunity in the NBA as a blessing, whether he plays big minutes or not.

“Everything, the way I’ve looked at the NBA and my journey in the NBA and my journey in college is that everything’s a blessing,” he said.

“I really, I really started thinking about that more and more last season when I dealt with those two hamstring injuries. Every time I step on the court, every time I tie my shoes, every time I do a layup, anytime I do anything, I’m blessed to be there.

“If I’m sitting on the bench watching those guys go out there and kill whoever they’re playing against, I’m blessed to be there. And I trust Mark. I trust every coach. I trust every player on our team to put us in the best position. And if there’s nights where it’s not me out there on the court, it’s going to be that. So I love our team.

“I want Hart, want Chet to have a great, successful career. I want them to succeed at the highest level. And regardless of if I play zero minutes or if I play 30 minutes, I’m blessed to whatever I am and I’m blessed to even be in this arena in the first place.”

Viral Parade Speech Still Resonates

Williams laughed about his memorable unscripted speech during the team’s downtown celebration.

“Everybody keeps coming up to me saying that that was a dope speech and I’m sorry for all the kids that were there,” he said. “But, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do something like that again. If you watch the video when Hart was trying to push me up there to talk, I was saying I didn’t want to talk because I didn’t know what I was going to say.

“And, it was incredible. Everybody loved it and I’m happy that I was a part of it.”

“Zero Zero” Mindset for New Season

Williams said the Thunder are not coasting into the season despite being reigning champions.

“Honestly, I don’t think so,” he said. “I think nothing changes. I think that we go into the practice tomorrow the same way we went into our when I was a rookie. And I think that’s what our team does really good.

“And our team, our whole organization is getting back to a zero zero mindset. And I think when we lace up our shoes and put on our jerseys, the other team is doing it the same way. And when the ball goes up in there, they don’t care that we won last season. So why should we? So I think we go into training camp with the same mindset we have every single year.

—-

Forward Jaylin “J-Will” Williams enters his fourth NBA season, all with Oklahoma City, after being drafted out of Arkansas in the second round in 2022.

Williams averaged 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season. While he played limited minutes during the playoffs (8.3 per game), he is considered a vital glue piece for the team thanks to his size, energy and chemistry with teammates.

Known for his playful personality, Williams produced several viral postgame interview moments with team broadcaster Nick Gallo. He also made headlines during the team’s championship parade when he swore on stage, drawing a reaction from Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.

Williams signed a three-year, $24 million extension after the Finals and remains under contract through 2028.