FAYETTEVILLE -- Derrick Joe didn't miss any of the Oklahoma City Thunder's home playoff games to witness his son, former Arkansas Razorback Isaiah Joe, win the NBA Finals. Former Razorback Jaylin Williams said his dad, Michael Williams, didn't either.
The Thunder outlasted the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 on June 22 in Oklahoma City. It was technically the franchise's second title after the Seattle SuperSonics won an NBA championship in 1979, long before its relocation to Oklahoma prior to the 2008-09 season.
It was the first NBA title for Jaylin, 23 years old as of Sunday, and the soon-to-be 26-year-old Isaiah. They played together during Isaiah's senior year -- Jaylin was a sophomore -- at Northside High School in Fort Smith and separately at the University of Arkansas.
"My middle son, Jacob, was teasing me," Derrick Joe told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "He said, 'You're going to cry, Dad.' I said, 'No, I'm not going to cry. I'm tough, right?'
"So (Isaiah) comes up to me, and I see tears in his eyes ... so my eyes kind of well up and get watery and we just kind of hugged. I think I saw Jaylin before him and I think I said to Jaylin, 'The champ is here.' So that's what I told my son. I said, 'The champ is here.' "
Jaylin told the Democrat-Gazette that he doesn't specifically remember hearing Derrick Joe say that. But, after all, he was busy trying to absorb his dream moment. When he won the Class 6A Arkansas state title during his junior season at Fort Smith Northside, he was late to the celebration because of media duties. Teammates had already flung the water and mobbed each other. Williams was the only player left wearing his jersey.
"I told myself that the next time I win big, I'll never miss the moment again," Jaylin said. "I was going to enjoy the moment to the max. So I just tried to enjoy the moment, be with my teammates, be with my family, and just take it all in.
"You dream about winning the NBA Finals, dream about the champagne showers and the parade. You hear stories about how amazing they are, and honestly, like, our parade blew it through the roof for me. Everything that I expected, it was 10 times better."
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (upper left) and guard Isaiah Joe (lower left) defend for the Thunder against Chicago Bulls forward Dalen
Terry during a March 31, 2025, game at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. (AP/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (upper left) and guard Isaiah Joe (lower left) defend for the Thunder against Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry during a March 31, 2025, game at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. (AP/Nate Billings)
Jaylin Williams is closer in age to Jacob Joe than he is to Isaiah Joe. The two youngsters played more often growing up. Jaylin would typically ride to cities such as Dallas or Atlanta with the Joes. But an occasional overlap did happen between the eventual Thunder teammates. Isaiah didn't realize that he had briefly played with Jaylin on an elementary school team until Derrick showed the picture.
In the ninth grade Jaylin played for the Arkansas Hawks, the summer ball team for which Derrick was an assistant coach and Jacob was a player. Practices in Little Rock meant Jaylin and Jacob would sometimes bunk at Derrick's mother-in-law's house.
"A lot of time with (Jaylin) and his dad," Derrick said. "When Northside would go on trips like, down to Texas, Jaylin's dad, Mike, would pop in the car with me and we would ride down to Little Rock and split some of the expenses."
Jaylin and Isaiah reached the Class 7A state title game in 2018 but lost. Derrick said Thunder personnel would tease them.
"How could pro players lose their state championship?"
Well, fellow NBA player and Razorback Moses Moody was on the other side, who played with Jaylin at Arkansas but didn't overlap with Isaiah. Isaiah played at Arkansas from 2018-2020, Moody in 2020-21 and Jaylin from 2020-2022.
"Those guys all know each other really well," Derrick said. "Isaiah knows Moses and Jaylin knows Moses. It was fun to watch them."
Moody and North Little Rock won the title game 64-51. Jaylin had the flu and strep throat the week leading up to it and lost 15 to 20 pounds, he said. So Moody, who is still with the Golden State Warriors after winning a title with them as a rookie in the 2021-22 season, won that round. They stay in touch and will send each other TikToks.
"We always ended up playing against Moses' AAU team," Jaylin said. "From like fourth grade to seventh grade. It would always be us versus them in the championship, and we would always split."
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (center) grabs a rebound in front of Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) and teammate Isaiah Joe (11) in the second half in Oklahoma City in this March 7, 2023, file photo. (AP/Sue Ogrocki)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (center) grabs a rebound in front of Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) and teammate Isaiah Joe (11) in the second half in Oklahoma City in this March 7, 2023, file photo. (AP/Sue Ogrocki)
The University of Arkansas was always the highest on the board of potential schools for Isaiah. The list of his family members to attend included his parents.
But there was another connection: Derrick coached the son of Mike Anderson, Arkansas' coach from 2011 to 2019. It built the trust that Anderson was the right man to continue to teach life lessons as another father figure to Isaiah. He committed the day he was offered.
"I said, 'At the end of the day, every coach that you have to turn down, you're going to call and you're going to let them know,' " Derrick said. " 'So if you stack up 20 offers of random teams, and you're calling these guys and running around, going to their campuses, you're going to call and tell them that you're not coming.' So that's just me being around it, just not wanting to waste anybody's time."
Jaylin said Anderson and his staff recruited him heavily, which included attending games in Fayetteville. When the head coaching job turned over to Eric Musselman -- Arkansas' coach from 2019 to 2024 and now the current coach at Southern California -- the recruitment resumed.
Recruiting efforts were helped by the group chat titled "The Fab Five," Williams recalled, or an alike corny name. It included top players in the state, some of which, like Jaylin, tried to convince the others to commit to the Razorbacks. Jaylin and Moody texted each other that they'd pledge to Arkansas so long as the other did, too.
"It was the best decision I ever made in my life," Jaylin said.
"Jaylin was one of the best practice players I've ever seen since I've been coaching," Musselman told the Democrat-Gazette. "He was a conductor for us on defense. ... With Isaiah, it was just looking into his eyeballs in a huddle when we needed a bucket or a stop. I kind of felt like, 'All right, this guy's got me. Like he's got us.' "
Musselman's coaching career has spanned three-plus decades, involving the NBA level, the NBA G League and the college ranks. The closest he's seen two players linked as closely as Jaylin and Isaiah was when twin brothers Cody Martin and Caleb Martin played for him at Nevada, where he coached before Arkansas. Both Martin brothers began their careers in Charlotte -- Cody was taken 36th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft and Caleb signed as an undrafted free agent -- and wrapped up their sixth seasons with different teams.
"They're in the perfect spot," Musselman said of Jaylin and Isaiah. "How lucky and fortunate are their families ... going to the closest NBA arena to their hometown.
"You got one out of 30 chances that that happens ... and then to play on a winning team -- just a playoff team, forget winning a championship -- that's going to bring the odds down even more. Then to think that they're both on the same team, now those odds come down even -- I mean the percentile for this to happen to both of them at this stage of their career? You got to pinch yourself and wake up."
When the Thunder played teams on the West Coast, Musselman watched from courtside seats that were next to the visitors' bench. After the Thunder won the championship, he posted a photo on social media beside Isaiah and Jaylin after a game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe celebrate on June 22, 2025, after the Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. (AP/Julio Cortez)
Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe celebrate on June 22, 2025, after the Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. (AP/Julio Cortez)
Isaiah was taken 49th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Jaylin was selected by the Thunder at 34th in the 2022 draft. The Thunder picked up Isaiah after he was waived by the 76ers in October 2022 then gave him a four-year, $48 million contract in July 2024.
"I think (Jaylin's dad) called me and he said, 'Where do you think Isaiah is going to end up?' " Derrick Joe said while chuckling. "I already knew where he was going, but, you had to play coy to some degree, and so I was like, 'Yeah, I don't know.' ... (Our families) never got together and had dinner or anything like that, but we did talk about it, and everybody was excited about that opportunity."
The senior-to-sophomore gap in high school didn't lend itself to Isaiah and Jaylin being the closest of companions. To this day, Jaylin wouldn't single him out in the locker room and necessarily say they're closer in friendship. He can call up anyone on the team. But they relate to each other best.
"I was a guy that was trying to make a name for himself at the moment," Jaylin said, reflecting on the loss in the state championship game alongside Isaiah.
He now wants to give back to his community.
"I'm thinking of all the kids," Jaylin said. "Like, how excited they would be to see the NBA trophy if I'm able to take it down to Fort Smith. Our mayor from Fort Smith is talking to us about wanting to throw a parade for us in the city ... and I'm just thinking about how as a kid, I would feel if there was two guys from the same city."
A favorite part of game days for Derrick is watching Isaiah and Jaylin conduct their created handshake after the starters are announced as the Thunder go into their huddle.
"I've got pictures from this weekend," Derrick said. "Listening to them talk about, 'We got one together,' because they're still sour about losing state high school championships."
Matt Byrne is the Bob Holt Razorback Reporter, named in honor of the longtime reporter who covered University of Arkansas sports. This position is funded by the ADG Community Journalism Project.