Pregame routine logistics like shooting groups, meals, and training table times are pretty set in stone at this point in the season. The NBA Trade Deadline has passed, rosters are pretty much set, and young players on lottery-bound teams have found their way around each arena. Cody Williams is starting to settle in as one of the Utah Jazz's go-to guys in 2026, for example. It's easy to see why Will Hardy is leaning into everything the second-year forward can offer down the stretch.
It all begins with the soundtrack. About an hour before tipoff against the Memphis Grizzlies, Williams sat in the visiting locker room, headphones on, cueing up stuff to match the Gospel Night theme. It's what felt right for the night. That part of the ritual, it turns out, is never quite the same twice.
“I can't do the same thing before every game,” Williams told ClutchPoints. “I've got to switch it up.”
However, unlike his new teammate Jaren Jackson Jr., who once served as the designated locker room DJ on Beale Street, Williams isn’t about to command the team's AUX cord. Even suggestions are jokingly being kept to a minimum until Jackson Jr. returns from knee surgery.
“I don't have anything for (Jaren Jackson Jr.) right now,” confessed Williams. “I don't have the clout to run the music, so I just sit here and listen to it. Mostly have my headphones on before the game, really.”
What plays through those headphones depends entirely on the moment.
“It depends on the mood,” Williams shrugged. “Before certain games, I'll throw on some R&B and chill, some old school Anthony Hamilton, some gospel like Kirk Franklin. It really does depend on the mood and what kind of day it is. Like, however I'm feeling before that game, that's what I'll play. Sometimes I'm throwing on Nirvana, Green Day, and a bunch of those bands.”
The eclectic mix that defies categorization traces back to his earliest exposure to music.
“I've got good music taste,” Williams said defensively as a few teammates eavesdropped. “My music is very diverse, shout out to my mom. She listened to a lot of that old soul stuff.”
Music is truly a window into the soul; it shows in how Williams carries himself. Loose, humble, grounded, yet confident enough to be curious and make mistakes. It's also the only way to get better at the game. Headphones come off for shootaround, though, as Williams wants to absorb everything. Being able to chat up the coaches and hype up teammates is more important. Everyone knows Williams is there for them, even if his playlist is all over the place.
Those traits are undeniable after just a few minutes with the former first-round pick, so a jump year three leap would not be surprising to anyone in the front office. Still, in a league best known for rap and hip-hop connections, Williams is learning a few new tunes as well.
“LUCKI is my go-to new artist for sure,” Williams shared. “I'm getting into his catalogue, listening to that when I need some new rap.”
The 21-year-old’s support system extends well beyond his mother’s CD binders. At the center stands his brother Jalen, the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star who just captured an NBA championship.
“Big shout out to my brother (Jalen). He has been my best wingman and biggest inspiration through this whole thing,” Cody noted. “I definitely wouldn't have made this kind of journey without him. He is a good punching bag. I beat up on him a lot, but he gives me tips on defense.”
Jalen’s ascent from unheralded Santa Clara product to lottery pick to champion has provided a blueprint. Now Cody is beginning to find his footing. Since dropping 18 points on New Year’s Day, Williams has averaged 8.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.7 steals/blocks while shooting 52.5% from the field.
This recent uptick in production is just part of getting comfortable on the job.
“I think I'm getting a real good idea on how I affect the team overall,” Williams explained, “and how I can be effective on the court. It's just playing to my strengths and weaknesses, especially on the defensive end. Then it's putting a lot of pressure on the rim offensively. That's how I can play to my niche and help the team. I feel like understanding my game more as the season has gone on is why I've been able to play better.”
Despite the increasing comfort level, some things haven’t changed since his childhood days dreaming of this moment.
“I still get butterflies before the game,” Williams admitted. “I'm just excited to be out there, to have this opportunity to live a dream. I don't know if that feeling will ever go away, just because I genuinely love what I do. I don't even call this a job because this still feels like a dream. I still feel like a little kid every time that jump ball. Everything about it is just exciting.”
For a Jazz franchise in the middle of a deliberate rebuild, that kind of enthusiasm from a young cornerstone is exactly what the organization is banking on. If the last several weeks are any indication, the prospect with the headphones and the wide-ranging playlist is beginning to figure out how to turn that excitement into production.
