Jaylin Williams' speech and our favorite moments from OKC Thunder NBA championship parade
A team for the ages begat a celebration for the ages in Oklahoma City. Here are our four favorite moments from the Thunder's NBA championship parade:
MUSSATTO: Why Thunder parade for NBA championship is symbolic of Oklahoma City's rise
Advertisement
Pre-order our new Thunder championship book
Ear muffs, Jaylin Williams
Jaylin Williams, meet Jonny Gomes.
A decade ago, Gomes grabbed an American flag and delivered a parade speech for the ages for the Kansas City Royals' World Series championship.
'It's unbelievable what those boys did,' Gomes said. 'It's unbelievable what they did! It's unbelievable what they did! They stole bases, they hit homers. Hey guess what, Cy Young winner, not on our team, beat him. Rookie of the year, not on our team, we beat him. MVP of the whole league, (turns around) sorry guys not on our team. But we beat that guy too! You know why we beat them. Because all of you all people had our backs."
Advertisement
Williams carried a similar tone Tuesday for the Thunder's NBA championship, although in an abbreviated message.
"They said we was too young," Williams started off, pausing for dramatic effect.
"The said Oklahoma shouldn't have a team. But guess what? We the f— champs!"
More: OKC Thunder shows off its youth in funny way after winning NBA championship
Thunder fashion show
The NBA is basically a front for the fashion industry.
If you stroll along the bowels of any arena before a game, photographers are stationed ready to catch a glimpse of what the players are wearing when they arrive.
You can say this for the 2025 NBA champion Thunder: The T-shirt game is strong with this group.
Advertisement
Isaiah Hartenstein arrived at Paycom Center rocking a bloody "Mr. Thunder" shirt to honor franchise icon Nick Collison.
Alex Caruso honored another Thunder legend — himself — with a Mount Rushmore shirt with his face plastered all over it.
More: How OKC Thunder won first NBA title: Relive playoff run by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's wholesomeness
It's no shock that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who signs more autographs before games that perhaps any player in the NBA, would want to share this championship moment with Thunder fans.
The reigning NBA MVP left his bus on the parade route to greet fans and let them get a closer look at the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Advertisement
If that wasn't wholesome enough, he closed his speech at Scissortail Park telling fans, "if you drink, don't drive."
More: OKC Thunder players leave parade bus to greet fans, bring trophy to the crowd: Live updates
Mark Daigneault channels Stone Cold Steve Austin
If you toss a can of beer to Thunder coach Mark Daigneault during an NBA championship parade, there's a decent chance he'll channel wrestling legend Stone Cold Steve Austin by catching and chugging that beer.
He wasn't the only mild-mannered Thunder employee to partake in an adult beverage on the parade route.
Sideline reporter turned fan favorite Nick Gallo took a swig of tequila from Hartenstein.
Advertisement
REQUIRED READING: Jaylin Williams, OKC Thunder can no longer be denied after NBA championship
Jeff Patterson is the sports editor for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jeff? He can be reached at jpatterson@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jeffpattOKC. Support Jeff's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com .
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jaylin Williams' speech: Favorite Thunder championship parade moments
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
15 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Yankees Legend, Who Won 3 MVPs, Makes Stunning Pete Rose Claim
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Pete Rose, who died in September 2024, at the age of 83, was finally granted eligibility for induction into the Hall of Fame by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in May. Rose was hit with a permanent ban from MLB, including from the Hall of Fame, in 1989 after an investigation found that he had placed bets on baseball games, including games played by his own team, the Cincinnati Reds. Rose placed the bets at the same time that he was serving as the Reds' manager, the investigation found. PITTSBURGH, PA - 1985: Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds looks on from the field during batting practice before a Major League Baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in 1985 in... PITTSBURGH, PA - 1985: Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds looks on from the field during batting practice before a Major League Baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium in 1985 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. MoreBut in May, Manfred ruled that all "lifetime" bans against MLB players would expire upon the player's death. That decision made Rose eligible, though if he is eventually inducted — of which there is no guarantee — it will obviously be too late for Rose himself to enjoy it. And that is exactly what upset former New York Yankees — and Texas Rangers and before that Seattle Mariners — great Alex Rodriguez, a player who, based on his statistics, should be in the Hall of Fame himself. Rodriguez discussed Rose's predicament in an interview on New York City's WFAN radio last week, and made a startling claim about baseball's all-time hits leader. "Pete Rose, a great friend of mine," Rodriguez said in the radio interview. "It just breaks my heart that he's gonna get in now. But I actually feel that if he would have gotten in, he would have lived another five years." Listen to the full interview with Alex Rodriguez: — WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) June 20, 2025 Is that true? Would Rose have lived to age 88 had he been inducted into the Hall of Fame? Of course, there's no way to know. The expected lifespan of an American male born in 1941, as Rose was, is 71 years according to the United States Social Security Administration. That means Rose had already lived 12 years longer than the typical man of his generation when he passed away last year. He would have been eligible for the honor, had he not received the lifetime ban, based on his record 4,256 base hits alone, starting in 1991. Rodriguez's strange claim may have been motivated by his own struggles with the Hall of Fame. A member of the Yankees 2009 World Series championship team — still the most recent of the Bronx Bombers' 27 titles — and a winner of two MVP awards while in a Yankees uniform (plus a third while on the Rangers), Rodriguez ranks fifth on the all-time home run list with 696. More MLB: Pete Rose Hall of Fame Bid Gets Support From John Rocker, Disgraced Ex-Pitcher His career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 117.4 ranks 12th, just behind Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams. However, Rodriguez was suspended for the 2014 season after he admitted using performance enhancing drugs for several years during his playing career. Unlike Rose, however, Rodriguez has not received a lifetime ban and has indeed been eligible for Hall of Fame induction since 2021. But voters simply cannot get past his admitted PED use. He would need 75 percent of all votes to get in, and so far he has never received more than 37.1 percent, which was his share in 2025. More MLB: Two-Time All-Star Goes on Rant Against MLB Decision on Pete Rose in Hall of Fame
CBS News
16 minutes ago
- CBS News
Bulls trade Lonzo Ball to Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro, source says
The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to acquire guard Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls for forward Isaac Okoro according to a person with knowledge of the agreement. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the trade can not be finalized until the start of the new league year on July 6. Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 35 games this past season after missing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns because of a left knee injury. The 27-year old Ball underwent a meniscus and cartilage transplant in his left knee in March 2023 after two surgeries failed to fix an injury he suffered during his first season in Chicago in 2021-22. Ball, the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 draft, missed the last two months of the season because of a sprained right wrist. He has one year remaining on his contract with a team option for the 2026-27 season. Cleveland has a need at point guard with Ty Jerome becoming an unrestricted free agent and Darius Garland likely to miss the start of the regular season after undergoing surgery on his left big toe earlier this month. The Cavaliers had the second-best record in the NBA at 64-18 but were eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Indiana Pacers in five games. Okoro averaged 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds this past season and is a strong defender who can also shoot well from the perimeter. However, he found his playing time begin to decrease over the season. He averaged 14.2 minutes in the playoffs after logging 19.1 minutes per game in the regular season. Okoro has two years remaining on his contract.
New York Post
16 minutes ago
- New York Post
Sam Merrill agrees to four-year, $38 million contract to stick with Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have locked in one of their backcourt depth pieces for the future. Sam Merrill has agreed to a four-year, $38 million contract to stay in Cleveland, ESPN reported Saturday afternoon. The 60th overall pick of the 2020 draft averaged 7.2 points across 19.7 minutes across a career-high 71 games last season. Advertisement In the Cavaliers' run to the Eastern Conference semifinals, he averaged 5.8 points across 19.9 minutes. Sam Merrill of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Round 2 Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 11, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBAE via Getty Images Merrill has served as a depth piece for the Cavaliers, as he also did during stints with Memphis and Milwaukee, where he was a rookie on the NBA champion Bucks in 2021. Advertisement Going into his fourth year in Cleveland, the 29-year-old solidified a point guard depth chart that also includes Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball, who was traded by the Bulls to the Cavs in exchange for Isaac Okoro on Saturday. Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) shoots the ball against the Pacers in Game 3 of their playoff series. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Fellow Cleveland guard Ty Jerome, however, is expected to leave in free agency. Last season, the Cavaliers were one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. Advertisement Merrill shot 37.2 percent from deep on an average of 5.2 attempts per game. He shot 40.4 percent from beyond the arc in 2023-24. In 2023, Merrill joined the Cavaliers on a 10-day contract, which was converted to a guaranteed, multi-year deal that came to an end this summer.
