Jalen Williams is the type of character that always exudes joy, both on and off the court. After the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 117-95 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1, Williams was asked where all that joy comes from and he had a very simple answer.
“Make millions of dollars to dribble a basketball up and down the court,” Williams said. “Hard not to be happy.”
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I certainly would be quite happy if I was in that position and I am sure many others would be as well. Of course, there are players in the NBA who still deal with mental health issues and whatnot despite having all that money, but Williams is fortunately not one of them. The 23-year-old is just living his best life right now, thanks to a wonderful start to his NBA career.
Williams was selected with the 12th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Thunder and signed a four-year, $20.2 million deal. He wasn’t expected to make a huge impact right away but greatly exceeded expectations in his rookie season.
Williams averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2022-23 to finish runner-up for Rookie of the Year to Paolo Banchero. He played his part in the Thunder, surprising many by making it to the NBA Play-In Tournament.
There was no sophomore slump after that either, as Williams averaged 19.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2023-24. He was incredibly efficient too, shooting 54.0% from the field and 42.7% from beyond the arc, and ended up finishing fourth in voting for Most Improved Player.
Williams followed up that regular season by impressing in his very first postseason appearance as well. He is averaging 20.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in these playoffs while shooting 50.6% from the field.
Williams has now established himself as a key piece for the Thunder and I think he has what it takes to be a star in the NBA. He will be eligible to sign an extension in 2025, and you had better believe that he is going to get a whole lot of money from OKC.
JJ Redick Spoke On How Hard It Is To Make It To The NBA
Williams is living the dream right now, but many unfortunately didn’t end up in this wonderful position that he finds himself in. Earlier this year, JJ Redick spoke about just how difficult it is to make it to the NBA.
“There are millions, potentially billions of people with that same dream. There are 450 guys and there are about 60 jobs every year. You should never assume you’re going to be in the NBA.”
“I think one of the issues we’re having in America right now, in youth basketball, we are anointing kids too soon. Not everybody is LeBron James, not everybody can handle that level of pressure and attention and not let it affect them. If you tell a 14 or 15-year-old that they can be an NBA star one day, they think they’re already an NBA star. That’s a problem. You have to have a level of perspective for what it takes. The NBA is as cutthroat as any f***ing business in the world.”
Redick was pretty much on point there. We have seen so many high school phenoms who were supposed to be future NBA superstars never even make it to the league. If you take things for granted at any point, there are going to be a ton of prospects who will just leave you in the dust. Even if you make it in, there are so many others who want your spot in the league, so there is no room for complacency.
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