Jalen Williams jokes OKC will throw another championship parade when Thunder return
Broadcasts usually multitask and conduct side-by-side interviews next to the action. The Oklahoma City Thunder saw that in their 104-85 Summer League win over the Indiana Pacers. Wearing a wrist cast, Jalen Williams joined the NBA TV crew to reflect on his championship and contract extension.
Hiding it from the public for two months, Williams went into detail about playing through a wrist injury. He recently underwent surgery to fix a torn ligament. Cortisone shots were part of his pregame routine through the Thunder's playoff journey that ended with an NBA Finals Game 7 win.
"Looking back at it, a lot. It was nothing I couldn't solve," Williams said about how much his wrist injury affected him. "A lot of the time I was playing, my hand was swollen. I kinda had to relearn how to shoot a little bit."
Williams also revealed he hasn't sat down and watched the full broadcasts of the Thunder's playoff games. While he's watched his own highlights, he can't stomach full games because of anxiety. That's a feeling that every OKC fan felt as a grueling two months had people feel every emotion possible from dread to euphoria.
The 24-year-old is also slowly realizing what an NBA championship added to his legacy. He dropped 40 points in a Game 5 win over the Indiana Pacers. After hearing the same questions all year long about not being a reliable second-best player on a title contender, Williams completely rewrote his public perception.
While the Thunder will have a short offseason, Williams will continue to soak in the glory. He joked that if the team showed up to OKC tomorrow, the fans would likely throw another parade. They wrote themselves into the Thunder's immortality with a ring. Something basketball legends like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook couldn't accomplish.
"I lowkey just want to go back and walk around the street," Williams said about OKC.
The Thunder should remain in the title conversation for the foreseeable future. They had quite the offseason as they locked down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Chet Holmgren to long-term deals. Those three alone should be enough for several deep playoff runs.
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