OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially hit 65 wins, and while the franchise is making history, Jalen Williams is staying locked in on what matters most: the bigger goal.
Following the Thunder’s dominant 136-120 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in their final home game of the season, Williams was asked about potentially earning All-NBA honors for the first time in his young career. The Thunder forward, who earned his first All-Star nod this season, wasn’t exactly campaigning for individual accolades.
“I haven’t thought about it at all,” Williams said. “It would be cool. I think 65 wins is way cooler than All-NBA. Both would be great, but that’s not what I’m playing for. Obviously, we’re playing to play way further than April.”
Williams has averaged 21.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals this season, solidifying himself as a two-way force for the league’s top team. But for him, those stats don’t outweigh the mission of chasing a championship.
While Williams downplayed the All-NBA talk, he didn’t hesitate to advocate for his teammates. He said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should win MVP and Luguentz Dort deserves Defensive Player of the Year.
“I think I’m probably more of a heavy advocate for Shai to get MVP, and Lu to be on there [for DPOY],” Williams said. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But, like I said, 65 wins and being able to add to that is more impressive.”
In Tuesday night’s win, Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 42 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Williams was right behind him, scoring 26 on 11-of-21 shooting, adding four rebounds and four assists. The Thunder are rolling, and so is Williams.
His rise this year hasn’t just come on the stat sheet — it’s come with a message. The Thunder have embraced Williams’ “watch the games” mantra, a line born from frustration with how the league is often viewed through the lens of box scores, betting lines, and surface narratives.
“It started off because obviously Shai. It’s very easy to take that for granted when you just look at it on paper,” Williams explained on The Young Man and the Three podcast. “Even as a teammate, I feel like you probably get a little desensitized to it because it’s just like he goes in there, and he’s not loud about it.”
With three road games left, the Thunder sit at 65-14 and hold the NBA’s best record. Whether or not Williams makes an All-NBA team this year, he’s made one thing clear — winning means more.
