OKLAHOMA CITY — As the clock wound down to zero in Game 7 of a 103-91 championship-clinching win against the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams' eyes filled up with tears of joy. Earning his first NBA championship in his third season, Williams made sure all of his teammates celebrated bringing home the franchise's first title.

Then, Williams revealed what drove him to tears in the final moments of Game 7 during his postgame media availability.

“Very blessed to be in this situation. So, a lot of that emotion definitely hit me a little bit,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of stuff I don’t really speak on like everybody in the room. So, a lot of emotion from that kind of hit me to be able to push through. Coming from not being known in college to 3-4 years later being an NBA champion, and having an impact on a championship team is God's gift for sure. So, it's been really cool to get that, so it was a rush of emotion.

Then, I messed up. I looked up, and my mom was crying in the stands. And then, that made me start tearing up a little bit. So, that, too, was kind of some of the rush of the emotion.”

Williams has come a long way from being a lesser-known prospect to an All-NBA, Second All-Defensive Team All-Star who's now an NBA champion. While Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned MVP of the finals' best-of-7 series, Williams was critical to Oklahoma City's 2024-25 title run.

His signature 40-point performance in Game 5 of the NBA Finals gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead, pushing the Pacers to the brink before eventually closing out Indiana in Game 7 on Sunday. Williams finished with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals in Sunday's championship-clinching victory.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's strong take on Thunder's Jalen Williams

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) makes a heart gesture as the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate after winning game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

After winning the 2025 NBA Finals MVP award, Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gave Jalen Williams credit for his value to the team. Calling Williams just as important to the Thunder as he is, it was quite the compliment at the podium during the championship trophy presentation.

Gilgeous-Alexander said that while he managed to win the NBA Finals MVP, Williams played a significant role in his and the Thunder's championship success

“[JDub's a] once in a lifetime player,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This is just as much my MVP as it is his.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and the Thunder will celebrate their title in Oklahoma City's championship parade on Tuesday.