Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams recalls watching the team’s 2012 NBA Finals run with childlike awe. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden carried the franchise to national prominence.
That summer, the trio’s electric play ignited the city’s basketball culture and redefined expectations for the Thunder. Now a rising star himself, Williams sees those moments not just as distant memories but as foundational to his path.
Jalen Williams on the 2012 Thunder: A Childhood Memory That Fuels His Journey
As the Oklahoma City Thunder prepare for Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals, forward Jalen Williams was asked to reflect on the parallels between the current squad and the franchise’s 2011-12 team that reached the championship round behind Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
“It doesn’t really do too much for me except for the fact that it’s just cool,” Williams said before Game 3, on Tuesday, during a media availability. “Growing up, what was I, probably like 12 when they were playing, around there. To go from watching them reach that point and then to end up being on the team that’s in the same position as them, it’s more of like a blessing and a dream come true.”
Williams added that facing Westbrook in the playoffs this year was particularly meaningful. “I just try to take those little things that come with it, be really happy and thankful for it. It doesn’t really add any pressure or any kind of motivation. It’s just really cool that I get to be in this position,” added J-Dub
Jalen Williams on the comparisons of the 2024-25 Thunder to the 2011-12 Thunder:
“It doesn’t do much for me. It’s cool… It’s more of a blessing and a dream come true because I just played Russell Westbrook in the playoffs…” 🗣️
(via @BrettSiegelNBA) pic.twitter.com/KknzBOeAN7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 10, 2025
The 2012 team reached the Finals but was defeated in five games by the Miami Heat. Since that loss, the franchise has undergone multiple overhauls. Now led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Williams, Oklahoma City is back on the sport’s biggest stage.
This year’s team delivered a historic regular season, winning a franchise-record 68 games and setting the league’s best-ever point differential at +12.9 points per game. That momentum has carried into the postseason, where the Thunder are outscoring opponents by an average of +10.4 points.
Their path to the Finals included a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies, a hard-fought seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets, and a five-game triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Williams, who credited a mentality shift following the Memphis series, said, “It’s kind of like one of those if it’s not broke, don’t fix it things.” He emphasized embracing playoff intensity: “Everybody is playing like their life is on the line.”
After a heartbreaking 111-110 loss to Indiana in Game 1, the Thunder bounced back with a 123-107 win in Game 2. Williams posted 17 points in the opener and followed with 19 points in Game 2. Game 3 tips off Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.