Latest news with #NBABasketballExecutiveoftheYear
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who is Jaylin Williams? Get to know OKC Thunder forward from Arkansas
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability subject to change. Jaylin Williams is in his third season with the Oklahoma City Thunder after he was selected in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft out of Arkansas. Here is what else you need to know about the Thunder big man: Advertisement More: Thunder vs Nuggets score, live updates: How to watch Game 2 of NBA playoff series Where is Jaylin Williams from? Jaylin Williams was born June 29, 2002, growing up about 180 miles east of Oklahoma City in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He was high school teammates with fellow Thunder player Isaiah Joe and they later played together at Arkansas. More: OKC Thunder faces NBA playoff dilemma: How to best defend Nuggets star Nikola Jokic Get to know Jaylin Williams' parents, Vietnamese heritage Jaylin Williams's parents are Michael and Linda Williams. Jaylin has three brothers and one sister. Williams' Vietnamese heritage comes from his mom's side. Linda Williams was born in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, before moving to the United States with her mom, Nga, in 1975 after the Vietnam War. Advertisement The Thunder big man is the first player of Vietnamese descent ever to play in the NBA. 'It never dawned on us he would be,' Linda Williams told The Oklahoman in 2023. 'It's so special to our family, to Jaylin … I'm still in awe of my son and what he's capable of doing.' More: Did OKC Thunder's lack of clutch-time experience lead to Game 1 collapse vs. Nuggets? Is Jaylin Williams related to Jalen Williams? Jalen Williams, left, and Jaylin Willams ham it up for the cameras. Thunder media day ay the Paycom Center Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. No. Stop asking. Blame the Thunder for the confusion, if you must, for drafting both players in the 2022 NBA Draft. That was a spectacular draft for Thunder general manager Sam Presti, who was named NBA Executive of the Year on Tuesday. OKC drafted Chet Holmgren second overall, Ousmane Dieng 11th, Jalen Williams 12th and Jaylin Williams 34th. Advertisement More: When will 2024-25 NBA awards be announced? Schedule set for most winners Jaylin Williams making impact in Game 2 of Thunder-Nuggets playoff series Thunder outscored Denver 10-2 in a 3-min span with Jaylin Williams on the floor Wednesday night in the first half. That lineup with him, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren had a 40 defensive rating. And saw him push back on Russell Westbrook and match his intensity, which hadn't really happened to this point. Follow along from Game 2 live HERE. More: OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti named NBA Basketball Executive of the Year for first time Jaylin Williams' stats with OKC Thunder in 2024-25 season Points per game: 5.9 Rebounds per game: 5.6 Assists per game: 2.6 Games played: 47 (nine starts) Minutes per game: 16.7 This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Who is Jaylin Williams? Get to know OKC Thunder forward from Arkansas
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti named NBA Basketball Executive of the Year for first time
Oklahoma City Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti was named the NBA Basketball Executive of the Year, the league announced Tuesday. It's the first time Presti, who is in his 18th season with the Thunder franchise, has won the award that an executive from each team votes on. Advertisement Presit oversaw the rebuild of the Thunder for a second time, which led to this season's franchise-best 68-14 record and No. 1 overall seed in the postseason. The 68 wins were the fifth-most in a single season in NBA history. OKC also posted a 12.9-point scoring differential and won 54 games by double digits, both the largest in NBA history. The Thunder was also 29-1 against the Eastern Conference, the best record against an opposing conference in league history. With 68 wins, Presti also became just the fourth head of basketball operations in NBA history to build 60-win teams with two entirely different rosters, joining Red Auerbach, Jerry West and Pat Riley. More: OKC Thunder squanders Game 1 vs Denver Nuggets and Chet Holmgren knows he must 'be better' Advertisement "First and foremost, this is an organizational and community-driven award," Presti said in a release. "As with all NBA organizations, ownership is central to everything that happens with the Thunder. On behalf of our entire staff, I want to thank Clay Bennett and our entire ownership group for their continuous support and belief in our vision for basketball in Oklahoma City and as a community accelerator. "An award such as this is really the result of our players and their commitment to our program. They push themselves in all capacities for the good of the team. I'm fortunate to work with this particular collection of men, and I do not take their professionalism for granted. "We have an incredible coaching staff and support staff, many who have been here for over 10 years as the team behind the team, and I see their excellence day to day, in ways that are invisible but invaluable to a sustainable organization. "I am deeply grateful to the many front office members that I have been privileged enough to work with and learn from throughout my experience with the Thunder. There are too many people to thank, but I am aware that I'm simply a representative of our front office and our commitment to improve one another. Advertisement "Lastly, I'm extremely humbled to be recognized by my peers, it is a privilege to be a member of such a talented group of basketball executives that work in the NBA today and I'm thankful for the relationships I've enjoyed with many of them over the years. We are all fortunate to have had people come before us who once served the position such as Donnie Walsh, Wayne Embry, Kevin O'Connor, Jack McCloskey, Rod Thorn, Sam Schuler, Jerry Colangelo, Mitch Kupchak, John Paxson, Mark Warkentien, John Gabriel, Bob Whitsitt, Danny Ferry, Carroll Dawson, Scott Layden, Bryan Colangelo, Geoff Petrie, Jerry West, Jerry Krause, and others who helped define the role that we are all now privileged to serve." More: How Russell Westbrook helped steal Game 1 for Nuggets against Thunder in NBA Playoffs This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti named NBA Executive of Year for first time
