Isaiah Joe, Jaylin Williams help Thunder capture NBA title for Hogs

Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams, both former Arkansas Razorbacks and Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies, celebrated their first NBA championships after the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.

Joe and Williams are the eighth and ninth Razorback alumni to win an NBA title, following in the footsteps of 2024 champion Jordan Walsh (Boston Celtics), Moses Moody (Golden State Warriors, 2022), and Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks, 2021).

Joe, a Fort Smith native, played in all but one Finals game, contributing 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting in Game 6 and averaging 10.2 points per game during the regular season.

“To be part of this team and to bring a championship back to Oklahoma City means everything,” Joe told reporters after the win. “It’s even more special doing it with Jaylin, someone I’ve played with since high school.”

Williams saw limited Finals minutes but made the most of them.

In Game 6, he added seven points and five rebounds, and in Game 2, he hit his first career Finals three-pointer.

“Hearing the crowd after that shot, it was surreal,” Williams said in the postgame press conference.

Oklahoma City’s 68-14 regular season mark tied for fifth-most wins in NBA history, and the Thunder locked up the top seed in the Western Conference. “Isaiah and Jaylin have been tremendous for us all year,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Their work ethic and unselfishness set the tone in our locker room.”

The Arkansas-to-Thunder connection runs deeper still. New Razorbacks coach John Calipari coached Thunder stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace while at Kentucky. Gilgeous-Alexander, who claimed both league MVP and Finals MVP honors this year, credited his college roots for his growth.

“Coach Calipari pushed me to be great. That foundation helped me get to this moment,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN.

With Adou Thiero projected to be selected in this year’s NBA Draft, Arkansas fans may soon see another Razorback in the league. For now, Joe and Williams’ championship run serves as a milestone for both the Thunder and Arkansas basketball.