Sam Presti tells 2 stories about Jaylin Williams' personality: 'He's a source of energy'
The Thunder rewarded Williams for his development with a three-year, $24 million contract extension a week later. For outsiders, to see somebody who only played 14 minutes in the NBA Finals was a little puzzling. But anybody who followed the NBA champion understands his value.
Sam Presti told two stories in his 2024-25 end-of-season press conference about Williams. You usually don't get such in-depth answers about a team's third-string center, but the 23-year-old's affectionate personality refuses to pigeonhole him in such a micro-role.
The first involved a morning shootaround. The Thunder were set to face the Philadelphia 76ers. They typically hold their shootarounds at the opposition's arena when on the road. That meant they went to Wells Fargo Center a few hours before tip.
Presti noted that Williams kept the mood upbeat. He fought against the elements as the indoor temperature rivaled the outside. Which is quite a statement considering how cold it can get in Philly. He helped his teammates forget about the freezing temperature.
"I just think he's a unique guy," Presti said about Williams. "He's a source of energy."
The other story was the one that stuck out to most. Presti wind the clock back to November. After suffering a hip fracture that cost him three months, Chet Holmgren slammed his hand in frustration and pain. As most know, the 23-year-old took a while to get up.
Once you realized Holmgren couldn't get off the floor without help, everybody in the arena went as quiet as a funeral. The lasting image of the seven-footer's injury was being helped off the floor by Isaiah Hartenstein and Williams. In a sick twist of irony, they were both also out dealing with their own injuries. Hartenstein with a hand fracture and Williams with a hamstring strain.
While the public saw the beginnings of that group's time together, Presti revealed more details on how Hartenstein and Williams stayed by Holmgren's side inside the tunnels and away from the cameras during another career low point.
"In all my years doing this, I've never, ever seen a player in that much pain. I mean, it was really tough. Hart and J-Will stayed with him the whole time in the back, and it was uncomfortable," Presti said. "It was uncomfortable because when someone is in that much pain, it's hard to be a bystander."
Presti said Holmgren couldn't even sit down properly because of the amount of pain he was in. A hip fracture is about as bad as it gets. Any 9th-grade biology class will teach that to you. Hartenstein and Williams stayed by his side until he eventually left the arena to go to the hospital.
"Those guys were both injured at the time. It was the greatest act of team support and teammate support I had ever seen. I don't know that it will ever be matched," Presti said. "They sat with him. They supported him."
Despite a shakiness in his role, Williams remains a positive force on the Thunder. Those are the type of intangibles you can't see. As cheesy as it might be to outsiders, the 23-year-old's warm energy helped OKC win off the court, too.
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