Jalen Williams has 2 hilarious requests for Thunder fans to celebrate his OKC holiday
Stretched over a month, Clay Bennett, Sam Presti, Mark Daigneault and all 18 Thunder players were honored for bringing home the Thunder's first NBA championship with a designated holiday that spans from June 30 to July 30.
Now that we're on the cusp of flipping the calendar to August, Jalen Williams took to social media with how he hopes Thunder fans celebrate his July 29 holiday. The 24-year-old was the penultimate player on the list. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains on July 30.
Williams said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he hopes Thunder fans throw some food on the grill for him. That's been an ongoing meme throughout the last month as the textbook celebration. It makes sense after all, these sizzling summer days are the perfect environment to spend some time in your backyard and cook up some BBQ.
Shortly afterward, Williams posted on his Instagram story that he also hopes Thunder fans jokingly bark at other people today. Over the last couple of years, the 24-year-old has fully embraced the dog moniker. For those unfamiliar, being called a "dog" in sports is a term of endearment. It shows that a player is willing to do anything to secure a win.
Considering Williams played the entire playoffs with an injured wrist that eventually required surgery, he fits the description perfectly. Every time he was introduced in the starting lineup, OKC fans would bark in unison. Some even wore dog masks. The 24-year-old would bark back after a big-time play.
Over a month since they won the NBA championship, the Thunder continue to enjoy the moment. They've earned it. When you win a ring, you get bragging rights for the rest of the summer. The NBA champions will enter the 2025-26 season as a favorite to be a rare repeat winner.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
6 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Gavin Williams just misses Guardians' first no-hitter in 44 years in 4-1 win over Mets
NEW YORK (AP) — Gavin Williams came within two outs of Cleveland's first no-hitter in 44 years before Juan Soto homered with one out in the ninth inning, and the Guardians completed a three-game sweep of the reeling New York Mets with a 4-1 win Wednesday. Williams (7-4) walked three and struck out six, including Francisco Lindor to lead off the ninth. But Soto homered just beyond the leaping grasp of center fielder Angel Martínez two pitches later for the Mets' first hit since the fourth inning of Tuesday's 3-2 loss. The Guardians have not thrown a no-hitter since Len Barker twirled a perfect game on May 15, 1981. Their no-hitter drought is the longest in the majors. There has not been a no-hitter in the majors this season. Williams, who was the first player on the field in the ninth with nobody warming up in the Guardians' bullpen, retired Pete Alonso on a fly to right but exited after walking Brandon Nimmo for the third time. The right-hander threw 126 pitches — 17 more than his previous career high and the the most in the majors since Alex Cobb threw 131 in a one-hitter for the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 29, 2023. Hunter Gaddis got Mark Vientos to fly out to earn his second save. The Mets have lost eight of nine. Key moment Soto's homer allowed the Mets to avoid being no-hit for the ninth time in team history. Key stat The Guardians' no-hitter drought is at 7,115 games, counting the postseason. Up next The Guardians remain on the road Friday, when RHP Tanner Bibee (7-9, 4.51 ERA) takes the mound against Chicago White Sox RHP Aaron Civale (3-6, 3.99 ERA). The Mets hit the road Friday, when RHP Kodai Senga (7-3, 2.31 ERA) starts against Milwaukee Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff (3-0, 2.22 ERA) in a rematch of last year's NL Division Series.
USA Today
6 minutes ago
- USA Today
Why former Georgia RB is in contract dispute with the Buffalo Bills
Former Georgia Bulldog running back James Cook is looking for an extension with the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately, the extension talks have sputtered to the point where there's been speculation that Cook might be "holding in" as a non-participant in practices, according to Rory Parks of TradeRumors. Cook is entering the final year of his rookie contract with the Buffalo Bills and wants a new deal. There have been many instances of players holding out or holding in until they earn a new contract, but when he reported to the first training camp practice on July 24, it gave indication that Cook would practice. That changed on Aug. 3. Cook was a non-participant on Sunday's practice, and when asked about why by ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg, he said "business". He kept repeating it on follow-up questions too. General manager Brandon Beane didn't see Cook's hold-in coming. "Yeah, you know, it's not something we were fully aware of until shortly before practice," Beane said, via The Buffalo News. "So, I get it, I understand it; it's the world we're in, I guess, of how players want to respond and things like that. "So, you know, at the end of the day, I wish we weren't here," Bean said. "This is my ninth season here, we've never had a player miss due to a contract or anything like that, so that's disappointing for me." Cook's has an asking price of at least $15M per year, he publicly announced via his Instagram. That would tie him with Derrick Henry for the third-highest average annual value among all NFL running backs. The Bills have already reached long-term deals with quarterback Josh Allen, wide receiver Khalil Shakir, cornerback Christian Benford, edge rusher Gregory Rousseau, and linebacker Terrel Bernard, so they could be looking to save a little on Cook's extension. Cook wants to be paid what he believes he's worth. He's arguably the second-most important player in the Bills' offense behind quarterback Josh Allen. In the regular season, Cook recorded 1,009 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns and caught 32 passes. In the playoffs, Cook posted over 300 total yards and three touchdowns as he helped the Bills advance to the AFC championship game. He has blossomed at the NFL level, but not every NFL team values the running back position. Before he became a two-time Pro Bowl running back with the Bills, Cook played for four seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs, racking up 1,503 yards and 14 touchdowns on 230 carries. He even caught 67 passes for 730 yards and 6 touchdowns. His elusive, versatile running style fit in perfectly with the bruising, hard-hitting running style of Zamir White, and it was on full display when both of them rushed for a combined 165 yards on 19 carries against Alabama to win the 2021 national championship. Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads!
Newsweek
7 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Bears GM Sends Clear Message to Fans Amid Caleb Williams Panic
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. Early on in NFL training camp, things haven't been easy for Chicago Bears second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. He has struggled quite often as he looks to lead the franchise back playoff contention. Due to the early struggles, there has been a lot of concern within the Bears' fan base. For years, Chicago has been searching for a legitimate long-term franchise quarterback. Justin Fields was supposed to be that guy most recently, but that experiment didn't work out. The Bears replace Fields with Williams. Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears takes part in a drill during Chicago Bears Training Camp at Halas Hall on July 24, 2025 in Lake Forest, Illinois. Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears takes part in a drill during Chicago Bears Training Camp at Halas Hall on July 24, 2025 in Lake Forest, Illinois. Photo byWilliams is the player that Chicago has chosen to go all-in on. Ryan Poles drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and has been very aggressive building the offense around him. Read more: Packers QB Jordan Love Sounds Off on Rookie Teammate This offseason, the Bears also made the big move to replace former head coach Matt Eberflus with former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. That move alone was a big investment in Williams. Johnson is an elite offensive mind. The hope is that he will be able to build with Williams for many years to come. Amid fan concern about Williams' sluggish start to training camp, Poles spoke out with a clear message during an appearance on ESPN radio. "I see a ton of growth," Poles said. "Ben has been hard on the quarterback position. There's a lot that rides on the quarterback's shoulders. So what he's (Johnson) doing is he's making it hard now, so when we get to games things slow down for us. He understands the growth and development process of the quarterback position. There's going to be days that are really good and there's going to be days where maybe you take a step back." There is never a good reason to panic this early in camp. Williams is being prepared for his second NFL season. The coaching staff isn't going to go easy on him. Read more: Steelers Receiver Gets Wake Up Call From Aaron Rodgers Chicago is still very clearly confident in its young quarterback. Every young signal caller goes through tough stretches. Williams is no different. Last season as a rookie, Williams played in 17 games. He completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while also rushing for 489 yards. While there is obviously still work to be done, Williams has the talent to be a star. He is going to go through rough moments, but those are expected. The Bears still have a franchise quarterback in the making on their hands. For more on the Chicago Bears and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
