Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sends message after Jalen Williams injury

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was visibly shaken when Jalen Williams went down Sunday. Afterward, he offered his teammate something considerably stronger than concern.

“I have no doubt in my mind he’ll be back and better than before,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, via Derek Parker of Sports Illustrated.

That was the hope around the NBA after Williams injured his left leg during the Thunder’s game against the Clippers. Medical personnel quickly attended to him before he was taken off the court on a stretcher.

The diagnosis wasn’t available in the initial reporting. The support didn’t need to wait.

“Praying for jdubb,” Rockets star Alperen Sengun wrote on X. Tyrese Haliburton and Paolo Banchero also posted messages of support.

Haliburton knows something about having a season interrupted in that building. He suffered his own major injury at Paycom Center during Game 7 of the 2025 Finals and only recently returned to action.

Williams helped the Thunder win that series while playing through a wrist injury. Last season brought more frustration, with wrist and hamstring problems limiting him to 33 games and the hamstring injury costing him much of the postseason.

Now, just three games into a new season, he’s facing another setback.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he planned to update the team at Monday’s meeting when more information became available. Until then, there was little to say about a recovery timetable or what comes next on the court.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s message was about the person. After everything Williams has already worked through, his teammate believes he can do it again.