Jalen Williams has played an instrumental role in the Oklahoma City Thunder being one win away from the franchise's first-ever NBA championship since their formation in 2008. Before Williams had his best game in the series against the Indiana Pacers, his brother, Utah Jazz rookie Cody Williams, gave his candid thoughts on what it's like to watch his brother play for the championship.
In an interview with News9.com's Chris Williams, Cody admitted that watching his brother play for a title makes his emotions run high.
“His game has my heartbeat racing, I’m not gonna lie,” Cody said. “My games, when I’m playing basketball, it’s like I’m calm because you know, you’re in control of it, to a certain extent. But watching his games, I have no control. So I just have to sit there, and my heart's racing, I'm getting anxious.
"I'm not really one of those people that yells or goes crazy, but I'm kind of just sitting there trying my best not to have a heart attack."
Cody admitted to Chris that he and Jalen have been best friends for their entire lives. He also admitted that Jalen's on-court persona is no different from his off-court persona.
“The things you see on court, the way he’s smiling, laughing, just having fun, that’s how he is off the court,” Cody said. “He’s unapologetically him. Everything you see out there is who he is. He kind of lets his personality shine.”
In Game 5, Jalen put up 40 points on 14-for-25 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, and three three-pointers. Jalen is averaging 25.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in the series. He is thriving on the NBA's biggest stage.
If only Cody could reach this level someday...
Could Cody Williams reach Jalen Williams' level?
After his disastrous rookie season, it's easy to say no on that front. While it's too early to give up on Cody after one season, there's definitely good reason to be concerned about him long-term until he proves otherwise. What made his struggles harder to watch didn't only stem from entering the 2024-25 season as Utah's prized rookie, but also from being Jalen's brother.
Jalen had a pretty electric rookie season that he has only built on from there. In only his third NBA season, he's one of the best players on a team currently on the precipice of a title. Cody did not start on a similar trajectory, and now all eyes will be on if he can show anything worthwhile to the Jazz next year.
Expecting Cody to be on Jalen's level may be wishful thinking. In fact, the bar for Cody at this point is proving he's an NBA rotation player, but everyone has their own journey when they enter the pros. Some make an impact right away, like Jalen, while others may need a minute, like Cody.
No matter what happens, it's pretty cool to see an NBA player root for his brother when he has the chance to make a name for himself in NBA history.