There are a number of sibling duos (and trios) in the NBA, and on Wednesday night, another pair of brothers will join the club when Colorado’s Cody Williams gets selected. His older brother, Jalen Williams, is already in the league.
Jalen’s rise in Oklahoma City to being one of the Thunder’s best players alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren has been impressive, and it’s also made teams wonder how high the ceiling is for his younger brother. Cody enjoyed a terrific start to the season at Colorado, but dealt with injuries that derailed his year, most notably an ankle injury that limited him considerably in the Buffaloes’ NCAA Tournament run. He is healthy now and back to climbing draft boards as an expected lottery pick, and will find out Wednesday night where he’ll be continuing his basketball career.
For now, he’s in New York taking in the whole Draft experience alongside his brother. The two sat down with DIME on Tuesday afternoon on behalf of a new ad campaign they’re doing with Starry and Buffalo Wild Wings, and talked about how they push each other to get better, what they learn from the other to put into their games, Cody getting back healthy, Jalen’s biggest takeaway from his first real playoff experience, and much more.
To start with you Cody, how’s this week going for you and how are you managing nerves, managing the excitement as you get set for draft night here?
Cody: I think the big thing is just having my family here, that’s a big part of it. I’m not nervous at all, not really anxious — I did a great job throughout the whole entire process — but just for me, being able to enjoy my family, having a great group people around me, to help support me throughout this. I don’t really have to think about a lot outside of this process because they help me take care of a lot of stuff.
Jalen, what’s been the best advice you feel like you’ve been able to give him going through this process as he gets ready to make the leap into the NBA?
Jalen: I would probably just say try and enjoy the moments of it. You know, the Draft only happens one time for everybody. So just try to enjoy a lot of the little stuff and just take it in. Take in the experience of being in New York, doing the suit fittings, even the stuff that makes it inconvenient. I think that was a lot of stuff I remembered about doing the draft, so just kind of enjoy that.
Obviously part of that is getting to do this campaign was with Starry and Buffalo Wild Wings, what was it like putting this together and having some fun together on this campaign?
Jalen: It was dope. It was kind of a shock. I think I tweeted something out about going there — and they actually, like, built one by my house, so that’s kind of where I was going for a while — but I think I tweeted something about going there, like they used to have deals. I don’t remember the exact deal but I think it was like every Thursday, me and my teammates would go, especially towards the tail end of COVID. And you know, we’re college students so we didn’t have any money, so we’re kind of waiting on deals where they would do the buy one get one free for boneless wings. So, I mean, it was a full circle moment for me to be able to be in this campaign, and then also to do it with my brother and do that whole thing. So, it’s pretty cool to do that and be like a full circle moment.
Yeah, and Cody, I mean, this is your first time doing an ad campaign — what’s it been like for you?
Cody: I think the biggest thing for me is I kind of grew up eating Buffalo Wild Wings. So for me is, like, that childhood experience of going to Buffalo Wild Wings, watching the game, eating their food. And that really just kind of stuck with me. So being able to have my first ad campaign being a place where I used to always grow up eating and watching sports, which has always been a part of my life. Like that’s probably the best part of this whole thing. So now I get to have fun with it and really enjoy one of my favorite places to eat.
What’s the go-to wing sauce for each of y’all?
Cody: I think mine might be Asian Zing.
Jalen: Yeah, mine’s Asian Zing, by the way.
It’s almost like y’all are brothers.
Jalen: Yeah. Mine is actually Asian Zing. Then BBQ. Actually, I’m a liar and garlic parmesan. Yeah, I’m a garlic parm person.
There you go. Cody, what has it been like for you this last few months getting back healthy and getting a chance to get back on the court and feel like yourself again out there, and show teams really who you are as a player?
Cody: I think teams had a pretty good sense of who I am as a player already, which is why I feel like I’m in this position. And I know it was rough to deal with injuries, but I still was able to showcase my skillset and who I am as person on and off the court. But I think, yeah, the biggest thing for me is just getting back feeling 100 percent and getting my ankle back to 100 percent, and actually being able to move and play, being healthy. So for me, it was really nice to, after the season ended, go to Santa Barbara and work on my ankle, work on getting stronger, work on my game, then kind of get away. And then be able to go throughout the process of getting healthy.
Jalen, coming off your first extended run in the playoffs. What are the things for you that you’re coming into this summer and looking at your own game and saying like, this is where I continue to want to grow as you continue your own journey here?
Jalen: I think, to not get too in depth on a lot of stuff, I’ve been able to get to a place where I can watch the playoffs again and watch it without bias or any emotion attached to it. So, I think first off, just constantly improving my body to be in shape to make these long runs in the playoffs. I think Ant was talking about it, just how physical and tiring it is to keep playing those extra games, especially my first year we don’t go that far at all. I would definitely say, yeah, just trying to learn different ways to take care of my body and kind of maintain through a long season. I play a lot of minutes every single game, even in the regular season, so just trying to maintain my body that way. And then kind of understand how teams were guarding me in the playoffs, which I think is the hardest stretch of basketball. So, understanding my game more that way, I think I’ll be able to improve this summer and hopefully make another jump.
Cody, obviously you’ve got a great relationship with Jalen, but just watching him go through these things, what are the things that you kind of pull from him and try to internalize and learn from his experience, as well as your own experiences, as you kind of get ready to start your NBA career?
Cody: For me, the biggest thing is his mentality. Obviously on the court you see how he plays, I think off the court is approach to everything, not even just basketball — it’s deals like this, interviews, going out and doing making charity work, or anything he does 100 percent. Especially the way he takes care of his body, the way he trains, the way he’s constantly improving, that’s something that I kind of pick apart and add to my game. Just because, I know he hit on it earlier, but getting ready to play 82 games, and everyone wants play in the postseason, so you add more games to that in the playoffs. I think the way, obviously he’s so meticulous with everything, but the way he also keeps improving his body and just keeps staying healthy. I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve tried to pull apart, just because I feel like for me, the biggest adjustment going to the NBA is gonna be playing those 82 games where it’s more physical, longer games, more fast-paced. So, I think those are the biggest things I tried to pull from this game and incorporate into mine.
How much do y’all compare your games to each other, and is there any sibling competition, sibling rivalry in terms of like being like, well, you know, I’m maybe a better shooter, or I’m better at this. Is there any of that between each other, or is it mostly just being supportive and pulling for each other?
Cody: I mean, we have a pretty great feeling for each other’s games. I don’t think compare’s the right word. It’s definitely like, I just know he’s a better shooter than me. I mean, that’s something I know. So just constantly getting shots up, getting reps up, and just asking him how he got better shooting, cause it’s something I work on. And then we kind of just pick apart each other’s games and I take stuff for him that I see, that I like, and I’ll watch film with Packie [Turner] on it, and I’ll incorporate into my workouts. Or he’ll send me film on my game and kind of show me stuff that he feels like I need to work on, and sometimes I’ll watch his games and I’m like, ‘Hey, you have this shot,’ and he’ll be like ‘Yeah, I know. I should’ve took it, and I should’ve done this move to get to that spot.’ So I feel like there’s no animosity or anything like that towards each other’s games, just because you have a good feel for each other, so we just try to pick each other apart and maybe help each other out.
Jalen, is there anything you pick up from him?
Jalen: I think watching his game more, when I’m already in that position where he’s at, I think when I’m able to watch him, he does stuff — I wouldn’t say that I would pick stuff and take it away from his game, but I think I pick up on how fast he’s able to get stuff that maybe took me longer to understand, if that makes sense. Like, certain reads or certain moves that he does, I pick up on like, okay, yeah. Or he’ll do something that I haven’t done in a while that was really effective that I’ve kind of gone away from, and that’ll be a piece of the puzzle trying to figure out my game, because we work out with each other. So I think that would probably be it. Like, a lot of times, he reminds me of a lot of stuff that I used to do, or that I thought was effective, and stuff that I strayed away from that I think were effective and that’s something that I’ve seen with both of us. I think in the NBA, I’ll probably like more stuff that he does as he grows into a player and we’ll be able to steal from each other more.
What do you tell him about the difference in going from college and fitting into the NBA game and how the NBA game is different? I think we talk a lot about what challenges that presents, but does it also present opportunity for a guy who has that two way skillset that maybe doesn’t get to shine as much in the college game in certain areas?
Jalen: Yeah, I think my biggest thing that I see — and I’ve only been in the league two years, so I’m not an expert — but just the stuff that I see since I’ve been in the NBA, and just the draft and how they talk about guys coming in, a lot of it is, I don’t want to say negative, but it’s almost like pessimistic, in a way. You look at a lot of the recruits and their profiles and usually the longer part of their thing is what they can’t do, or what they’ll have to adjust to.
But I think for me, it’s making the NBA adjust to him and kind of understand that you’re getting picked up and you’re going to the NBA for a reason. So it’s kind of more looking at opportunities to get better. You know, there’s more space, the game’s faster. Guys are more skilled, so the guys you’re going up against the practice will make you better, even on walkthrough days. You’re playing with smart players all the time. There’s a talent drop-off obviously in college, high school and stuff like that. So there’s a lot of things I think that go to his advantage more than I would say what he needs to look out for, you know what I mean? I think he’s talented enough as a player to where he’ll figure out what he needs to work on and what’s different in the NBA, but I think the biggest thing is just trying to use that to your advantage. Your first year, you’re trying to figure out where you fit in the NBA, so I think when you can find your advantages earlier, I think that leads you along way.
Yeah, and last thing Cody, what are the things that you’re telling teams they’re going to be getting in you when you walk into that building, wherever you end up on Wednesday night?
Cody: I think one of the biggest things off the bat is defensively, my versatility. Coming in as a rookie, that’s the one thing you can always do to be on the floor. So for me, knowing that I can guard multiple positions effectively and I’m only getting better with the stronger I get, and the more time I spend NBA. That’s something I always, right off the bat, point out. Shooting, most definitely, the league has more spacing, more opportunities for threes to get up, and now the NBA is kind of geared towards hitting threes. So I feel like for me, with just my length and the way I create space, and space the floor I’ll be able to be an effective shooter.
And then I just have a natural feel for the game is I feel like my other biggest one. You don’t really have to come in and teach me how to play basketball or how to play in the set, or how to get out in transition and space the floor or a play five out, just play basketball. So I feel like me coming in just knowing how to play right away, having a good natural feel for the game, and being able to defend multiple positions, that’s the biggest things where, like he was saying, finding an advantage early. I feel like that’s something I know I can be effective on right off the bat. And then as you go off to your career, you pick a few things each year you want to get better at, and it just build off that. But those are definitely things I feel like, off the bat, I have the advantage on.