Arkansas basketball has two more NBA champions to add to the list. Former Razorbacks and Arkansas natives Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams helped the Oklahoma City Thunder win its NBA championship since the franchise moved to OKC 2008-2009. It's only the second time in history, winning its first in 1979 when the team was still the Seattle SuperSonics.
Former Razorbacks Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joes are NBA Champions
As far as the Thunder's series against Indiana, Joe and Williams weren't much of a factor. Altogether, Joe played 41 minutes, recording 23 points, three rebounds, and an assist, while Williams only saw 14 minutes and scored 10 points with an additional six boards and an assist. However, situationally, they both had their moments in the postseason.
Joe cracked double-digit points five times, and at least once in every series, on the way to the NBA Championship while only averaging 10 minutes a game. He shot threes at a high clip, knocking down 41 percent (2.7 attempts). The only player to come close to matching Joe was shooting guard Alex Caruso (3.9 attempts), who averaged more than double the playing time.
On the stat sheet, Williams wasn't a huge difference-maker. However, the work that he put in that didn't show up on paper was instrumental to the team's success. On the court, he played a key role in limiting NBA megastar Nikola Jokic in the Thunder's series against Denver. But arguably, his work off the court played an even bigger role.
CONGRATS to @Jay_MWilliams_ & @zai_joe1…NBA CHAMPS! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0bkMmzUTS1
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) June 23, 2025
In an article by the Athletic, senior NBA writer John Hollinger described how Williams led the team from the sidelines and was one of the biggest voices in the huddle.
"As I talked to him in the Thunder locker room about his role after the win, [Aaron] Wiggins and [Lugeuentz] Dort, in lockers on either side of him, started yelling, 'Teammate of the Year!'" Hollinger wrote.
"'Being able to watch it from the side, I get a different view,' Jaylin Williams said. 'Trying to kind of echo what we need to do, echo the plan. Sometimes it’s different hearing it from a player that’s going through battle with you than hearing it from a coach, so I’m trying to talk to the guys.
'We’ve always had this saying where if you feel like there’s something that you want to say to a teammate, like, nobody’s bigger than the program. So, you just say it to each other.'"
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also gave a glowing testament about Williams after OKC's crucial game four win. “The communication on the bench was outstanding,” said Daigneault. “Most of the guys that weren’t playing, I thought, were great… J-Will had an unbelievable voice tonight in a lot of those huddles.”
Joe finished the 2025 season averaging 10.1 points, 44 percent from the field, 41.2 from the three-point line, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. On the other hand, Williams finished with 5.9 points, a 43.9 FG percentage, 39.9 percent from downtown, 5.6 boards, 2.6 assists, and 0.6 blocks a game, all while only averaging 16.7 minutes a game and recording three triple-doubles this season.