Santa Clara Alumnus Jalen Williams Returns as NBA Champion
Jalen William returned to the Leavey Center for the University’s Welcome Weekend. Photo by Nina Glick
A highlight of Santa Clara University’s 2025 welcome weekend, Bronco men’s basketball alumnus Jalen Williams ’22 made his return to Leavey Center to celebrate his first NBA Championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season.
Williams, an Arizona native, was a two-time All-WCC selection and a star for the Broncos from 2019-22. In his final year, Williams was the WCC’s second-leading scorer, averaging 18 points per game. After just three years with the Broncos, he was drafted to the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, becoming the highest Bronco draft pick since Steve Nash in 1996. In just three seasons in the league, Williams has quickly made his name known. After being selected for back-to-back NBA Rising Stars games, he received his first NBA All-Star nod last season.
In a dominant run, the Thunder topped their conference last season as the No.1 seed with a record of 68-14. They impressively beat the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets en route to reaching the NBA Finals, where they faced the Indiana Pacers and star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. In a back-and-forth seven-game series, the Thunder were eventually victorious.
In Game 5 of the finals, the series was locked 2-2, with the Thunder hopeful that they could close out the series with two more wins. Williams led the charge, dropping a remarkable 40 points in just 35 minutes. The combined 71 points by Williams and teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 5 join LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as the only duo to deliver a 40+ and 30+ point game in an NBA Finals game in the modern era.
At the trophy presentation after the triumphant series’ conclusion, the Most Valuable Player award was given to Gilgeous-Alexander. The star point guard quickly handed his trophy to Williams, however, crediting his teammate’s stellar performance.
In ESPN’s player ranking for the 2025 season, Williams slots in at 11, over 30 spots higher than his rank in 2024. They highlighted his “contributions to the Thunder’s title run—especially his 40-point performance in the pivotal Game 5 of the NBA Finals—[which] would have been impressive under any circumstances.”
The event at Leavey Center was an incredible experience for Williams to connect with his former school and for students to celebrate his accomplishments. He was acknowledged and celebrated for his work in the Thunder’s title run by many other University alumni, including basketball alumnus and current Warriors shooting guard Brandin Podziemski ’23.
Williams was also awarded a key to the City of Santa Clara by Mayor Lisa Gillmor—who emphasized that she had previously only given such a key to Beyoncé during the singer’s concert at Levi’s Stadium last summer. Santa Clara University President Julie Sullivan presented Williams with a banner added to the Bronco Legacy neighborhood. He joins 12 notable alums in receiving this prize, including a New York Times best-selling author, an Emmy Award-winning actor, and a World Cup champion, among others.
On Dec. 3, the Broncos will play against Utah Tech during the Acrisure Invitational at Leavey Center, where Williams’ jersey will be retired.