Jaylin Williams Scores Big for Vietnamese with NBA Finals Three
By James Moreau | 11 Jun, 2025

The clutch player for Western Conference Champion Thunder, is just games away from an NBA title.

Jaylin Williams of Western Conference Champion Oklahoma City Thunder is the first player of Vietnamese descent to be drafted into the NBA as the 34th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 draft.

The 22-year-old’s 4-year rookie contract is worth $8.2 million with a $4 million guaranteed.

At 6’9”, 240 pounds Williams has traditional size for a power forward but his game is modern. Across his 3-year career he’s shot an impressive 39% while averaging a 3-pointer per game.

The Thunder had an exceptional regular season this year, winning 83% of their games. Williams started 9 games but, more commonly, provided a spark off the bench, averaging 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in 47 games.  He showcased his all-around game in March by achieving his first two triple-doubles within weeks of each other.

In the Thunder’s playoff run Williams saw action in 14 of the 17 games.  He averaged 9 minutes per game in the Quarter-, Semi-, and Conference finals.  Now two games into the NBA Finals, with Williams seeing the floor in game 2, the series versus the Pacers is tied.   His appearance was in garbage time but he stayed true to form by draining a three.  Both the finals appearance and the three pointer are firsts for a Vietnamese American player.

Raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Williams played for the Razorbacks at the University of Arkansas before entering the NBA. In his sophomore and final collegiate season he earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors and made the SEC All-Defensive team. 

His mother Linda was born in Saigon and immigrated to the United States in 1975.