This year’s NBA Summer League has been really good to former Arkansas basketball players.
Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh each made their professional debuts with impressive performances. Nick Smith Jr. and Ricky Council have made their presences felt, while Stanely Umude and Au’Diese Toney are making solid cases for a roster spot.
Out of all of the former Razorbacks participating in this year’s NBA Summer League, [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] is arguably having the best of them all – on and off the court.
With the basketball world in Las Vegas for the last week, there have been plenty of special events and showcases for players. One of the most popular events was the Call of Duty competition. The famous video game franchise held a tournament for Summer League players to see who could get the most kills in two minutes. By the end of the weekend, the player with the most kills would win $10,000.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor announced on Sunday that Jaylin Williams took home the championship with a league-high 59 kills.
Congratulations Jaylin Williams! https://t.co/ELAS2EM4IO pic.twitter.com/2SCBbkT40t
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) July 10, 2023
Shortly after, Williams posted a video holding the custom Call of Duty championship belt confirming his victory.
went & played at a call of duty event for fun & i ended up winningđź’€ pic.twitter.com/KxdJOSOH6A
— Jaylin Williams (@Jay_MWilliams_) July 10, 2023
Things could not be going much better for Williams this summer, as the second-year forward is averaging 15.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, a steal and a block in his first two Summer League games for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Fort Smith (Ark.) native is coming off of a strong rookie campaign where he became a mainstay in the Thunder’s rotation. His performances so far this summer – playing alongside Chet Holmgren – are helping him solidify his role with the franchise for the long term.
But it still might be nice for Williams to know that he’s got a future in the video game space if he ever wants it.
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