Jalen Williams pays homage to Kobe Bryant in social media post.
A little over a month since they captured an NBA championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to flex their achievement. Hard to blame them, either. When you win a ring, you get an entire summer to run victory laps.
While Jalen Williams recovers from wrist surgery, he took to social media to remind folks what he went through. He battled through a torn wrist ligament during the Thunder's playoff run.
Williams' postseason journey was highlighted by a 40-point explosion in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals. All without making a peep about the painful injury that required numb shots every pregame. He only talked about after Sam Presti announced the upcoming surgery that'll knock him out until near training camp.
Williams posted a side-by-side photo of himself with Kobe Bryant. Both players wore pajamas at the free-throw line with one hand on the ball. The other hand had a wrist wrap around it. The latter's photo was at a 1999 practice when he learned to shoot with one hand after he sustained a hand fracture.
Williams has never been shy about his super fandom of Bryant. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar was a generation's favorite player. The 24-year-old was around the age range to see his last best years, so it shouldn't be a shocker to see him have such an influence on the All-NBA player.
Now, Williams and Bryant both share something else in common — An NBA championship.
— therealjalenwilliams (@jdubwttp) July 24, 2025
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jalen Williams pays homage to Kobe Bryant in social media post
Category: Basketball
