Jalen Williams, An NBA Champion
4 Min Read
By: Andrea Aruino
The Oklahoma City Thunder etched its name in NBA history this 2024-2025 NBA season. On June 22, 2025, OKC won its first NBA Championship in franchise history with the help of their young team who set it straight to the rest of the NBA and their audience that they were ready for whatever came their way.
Amongst that young team is Jalen Williams, who, in his third year of being in the NBA, played a huge role in OKC’s winning season. In the NBA Finals alone, Williams averaged 23.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 3.7 APG. He had a three-game streak in games three, four, and five of the finals, where he scored 25 points or more off of a 44.9% FG efficiency. Williams became one of five players in the past 40 years of the NBA to score 25+ points in the finals before turning 25 years old.
Game one from Williams was what we were seeing the whole season. He excelled at facilitating ball movement and he also stopped the Pacers’ strong perimeter offense. Game one was a true battle as the Pacers came out on top with a buzzer beater from Tyrese Haliburton. Williams and the Thunder came out roaring during game two to even up the series. The series was a lot of back and forth, with each team showing their relentlessness and doing whatever it took to prevail. Williams shined especially during game five. He set himself a new playoff career high of 40, becoming the third youngest player to score 40+ points in an NBA Finals game, behind Russell Westbrook and Magic Johnson. This game set them up for a 3-2 lead coming into game six, where Indiana forced a game seven.
After the Pacers had won game six, each team showed up ready for battle coming into game 7. Williams’ performance in game seven was one where he relied heavily on hedging pick and rolls to keep the Pacers’ on perimeter lockdown. His tips and steals were enough to keep OKC’s offense intact and controlled. It was a close game until the second half when Williams pushed until the last buzzer. He played 38 minutes and finished with 20 points and seven assists, helping OKC create momentum during the last two quarters. The moment that any basketball player dreams of was finally in the hands of Williams. All his hard work and passion paid off once he laid his eyes and hands on the Larry O’Brien trophy.
He started every regular season game this year averaging an impressive 21.6 PPG, 5.3RPG, and 5.1 APG. His aggressiveness towards the basket and ability to translate a made basket into a defensive play set his team up for the number one seed in the Western Conference, which the franchise hadn’t achieved since the 2012-2013 season. At that time, they were being led by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka. Now, the big three of this year’s OKC team includes Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Chet Holmgren, a dominant force that many doubted due to their lack of experience on the big stage, but nonetheless posed no threat to this squad.
Williams’ regular season was nothing short of a success. He showed just how explosive he can be on the offensive side having 15 games where he scored 30 points or more. Along with this, he scored a career high of 41 points in 33 minutes during a feisty battle against the strong San Antonio Spurs on March 2, 2025. OKC fans saw this rising star. So did the rest of the NBA. Due to his growth from his first year in the league to now, he became an All-Star for the first time ever solidifying a spot as a reserve on Team Kenny. Williams is now one of eight players in NBA history to have become an NBA All-Star after being the 12th pick in the draft.
Not only did he show up offensively during the regular and postseason, but he also exemplified a mastery in defense. With a 7’2’’ wingspan, he was able to stop elite scorers from getting easy shots, forcing them into missed baskets. Making sure he was able to contest every shot with a close-out or block was just one more piece to the puzzle that allowed for OKC to succeed. He finished this regular season with 46 blocks, helping OKC land the number one defensive rating at 107.5.
He finished the postseason with 20.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 5 APG. His stats were similar from the regular season but his willingness to dive on the floor for a loose ball or drive to the basket seemed to be even more intentional and this led his team to prosper. In the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies, OKC won with their fifth largest margin in NBA history, beating them 131-80. Williams had an efficient scoring night going 10-16 in field goals. This scoring performance was consistent throughout the series, especially in a clutch game three, scoring 26 points in a game that they trailed by 29 points. OKC closed this series in a sweep and prepared for the number four seed, the Denver Nuggets.
It wasn’t until the second round where they were tested by the Denver Nuggets veterans. In game seven, he played crucial offense by creating space and plays for his teammates to score, as well as providing in that area himself. They won game 7 and their momentum carried on into the third round where they faced the Minnesota Timberwolves, who seemed to have no answer to OKC’s fast-paced offense and disciplined defense. Williams exploded during game four with a playoff career-high of 34 points, which gave OKC a 3-1 lead going into game five against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves. Ultimately, they sealed the deal and closed out the series 4-1 entering their first NBA Finals since 2012.
All the work Williams put into becoming the player he is today is what set him up for this success. Congratulations once again to J-Dub and OKC on their first ever NBA Championship!
