Cody Williams Sounds Off After Facing Jalen Williams in Jazz-Thunder

The two brothers got a chance to suit up against one another on Friday night.

Jared Koch | Feb 22, 2025

Jan 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) reacts towards his brother Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) after their game at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

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Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz kicked off their post-All-Star stretch on Friday in a tough home battle against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, one where they came up short 107-130 in a contest they were outmatched in for most of the night.

However, the game presented an opportunity for one of the NBA's brother duos to match up against one another –– that being the Jazz rookie Cody Williams and Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams.

It was the first time the brothers have matched up against each other despite the two teams playing twice before this season, as Cody was inactive for the first two showings. But this time finally presented the long-awaited opportunity as both were active and available.

In the end, it was Jalen Williams and the Thunder taking care of business in a win, but the night was still a positive experience for Cody.

"It was nice," Williams said after the game. "It was kind of weird because I know everyone on their team –– just because I've known them the past three years. So, it kind of felt like a pickup game; how we all just know each other, just having fun hooping. It was a really good experience."

Jalen Williams 🤝 Cody Williams

Brotherly love. https://t.co/C5lDedBPhm pic.twitter.com/M3jXLdo1Cu
— NBA (@NBA) February 22, 2025

Before coming into the NBA himself, Cody spent some considerable time with the Thunder roster simply due to his connections with Jalen, and as a result, it makes these matchups against Oklahoma City that much sweeter.

Cody finished the game logging 16 minutes with three points and three rebounds, while Jalen totaled 28 minutes with 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

"I wish we could've matched up more," Williams continued. "But, obviously we have a game plan. We're going out there to execute it. So, I understand that part. And we're going to have a lot more opportunities to match up against each other. I'm not too worried about it."

Considering the Thunder and Jazz both lie in the same conference and division, these two have many more battles ahead of them. They even have one more to go this season on April 11th when Oklahoma City returns to the Delta Center for Utah's final home game on the season.

From growing up in the same household to facing one another in the NBA, it's been a wild journey for the Williams brothers to get where they are now, but it's something the two have always kept in the back of their minds.

"Especially with our age difference, we always knew the only way we could play on the same team, or even against each other is in the NBA," Williams said. "So, we always joked about the only way we were going to play against each other was in the NBA. It's just crazy that it came true."

While Cody officially starts his NBA record against Jalen 0-1, in due time, he'll have his shot to even up the score down the road.

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