After Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams revealed a hand harm routine he handled all through the 2025-26 championship run, he mirrored on the taxing seven-game Western Convention semifinal sequence towards the Denver Nuggets. Williams’ 37.5% taking pictures clip towards the Nuggets was a postseason low. Nonetheless, he refused to make use of the torn ligament in his taking pictures hand as an excuse for subpar performances.
As an alternative, Williams says he did his greatest to bounce again with out the media understanding something about his situation, regardless of the tough criticism that got here hand in hand along with his underwhelming taking pictures.
“I didn’t wish to inform the world that I used to be damage, and so the world simply ganged up on me about how I wasn’t able to deal with the second, which is, clearly, improper now,” Williams mentioned. “However that was probably the most annoying factor. Human nature, you wish to scream that you just’re damage. I used to be in a position to lock in and never use it as an excuse, and simply play the sequence.”
After ending with six factors on 3-of-16 (18.8%) makes an attempt in a 119-107 loss in Sport 6, Williams bounced again by scoring 24 factors on 10-of-17 taking pictures, seven assists, and 5 rebounds in a 125-93 series-clinching win in Sport 7 towards the Nuggets.
“The Denver sequence made me develop up as a participant. The Denver sequence was, by far, probably the most painful sequence I had,” Williams mentioned. “I bought my hand stepped on. The Aaron Gordon play. I took a bizarre fall and tried to brace. So, I used to be messing my hand up that complete sequence, and I used to be enjoying Aaron Gordon and guarding Jokic, and I’m guarding these guys, the place it’s like bodily, and I’m always banging my hand.”
“So, that one made me develop up as a participant, and simply, truthfully, as a person. I simply needed to man by means of plenty of the ache that I used to be experiencing,” Williams concluded.
Jalen Williams reveals Kobe Bryant inspiration amid Thunder run
Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams pulled off a Kobe Bryant transfer circa 2010 en path to the Corridor of Fame guard’s fifth and last championship. With out wanting to show his expertise right into a Kobe-inspired determination, Williams says his trainers talked about Bryant for example of a participant enjoying by means of a hand harm that yielded a championship.
“I don’t wish to make this a Kobe factor, however that was one of many folks that they introduced up that had achieved it earlier than and performed by means of it. So, they have been saying it was doable,” Williams mentioned. “All through the week, I principally modified my soar shot.”
Williams shot in a method that required contact and solely used his fingertips as a substitute of a full follow-through movement.