Last Sunday night, the greatest single season in basketball history by an Arizona high school basketball alum was capped off in Oklahoma City.
All-NBA, All-Defensive team, All-Star, and NBA champion, all of which was accomplished by the age of 24, that was the 2024-2025 season for Perry high school alum Jalen Williams
Williams is the youngest player since Kobe Bryant to accomplish all four of those achievements in the same season.
The three-star prospect’s journey to this point was far from a linear path, as unlike most players that accomplish what Williams did this year is typically reserved for the top prospects in any given year.
As a senior in high school, most paid attention to other players in the state such as Nico Mannion at Pinnacle, Jaelen House at Shadow Mountain, and Jalen Graham at Mountain Pointe while overlooking Williams at Perry.
Williams graduated high school at 6’2” and was recruited as a guard to Santa Clara, a mid-major program that believed in what Williams was and could be, while six other players from Arizona in the same class signed with power conference programs.
One of his former club coaches Cedric Cobb Sr gave insight to the decision to choose Santa Clara.
“He’s the epitome of going to a school that wanted him and was willing to invest time and resources. His work ethic to be the best he could be coupled with Sendek’s teaching gave him even more confidence and it just skyrocketed… Santa Clara wasn't his only offer… But he stuck with who felt comfortable and prioritized him,” said Cobb Sr.
Williams was a three year starter at Santa Clara as he grew four more inches and was able to showcase his all-around game as a two-way star. He finished his career as a multiple time All-WCC selection and was a finalist for the Lou Henson award which annually is given to the top mid-major player in the country.
In a world of instant gratification and chasing the best and biggest named programs, Williams didn’t leave in the transfer portal even as his stock reached an all-time high entering his junior year.
“Year by year in college his game evolved. Jalen understood that if he wanted to get on the court he had to play defense. I remember talking one of the assistants that Gregg Rosenberg knows after freshman year. He said "Jalen is already one of our best defenders" I'm like are you kidding me? He says no,” said Sr.
With an unwavering loyalty to the program that trusted him and believed in his development, Williams stayed at Santa Clara and nearly reached the NCAA tournament.
The work he put in led to him becoming a lottery pick, selected 12th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Fast forward three years, Williams has already cemented himself as an Arizona high school basketball legend.
This season, he joined Pueblo high school alum Lafayette “Fat” Lever as the only two alumni to be selected to an All-NBA team.
With his All-Star selection, Williams is already tied for the second most by an alum and as his current pace is on track to shatter that record.
Through his first three seasons, Williams has the highest points per game average by an alum as well with 18.1.
With his NBA finals victory, Williams becomes the fourth alum to win an NBA championship, however unlike the other three to do it (Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, Sean Elliott) Williams played a substantial role in the Finals.
In the NBA Finals, Williams was far and away the second best player on the floor and at some points was the top player in the series as he averaged 23.6 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, and 4 assists per game. And from game four onward, Williams garnered significant praise and was considered for Finals MVP.
With the victory, Williams becomes the sixth player since 1980 to have won a championship and made All-NBA in the same season joining legends such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and Klay Thompson.
Jalen Williams story is one of betting on yourself and trusting the path that you’ve created.
That’s why at 24 years old and only three years in the NBA, Williams is the greatest Arizona high school basketball alum.
A player that is uniquely Arizona even if he wasn’t born here. A star that battled the odds and paved his own way even when everyone else did things differently.
The future isn’t guaranteed, and only Williams can control what comes next for him, but one thing is certain, he’s already set the standard every Arizona high school athlete should strive for.
