Nicole Williams' Son Grew Up Watching Her Play Basketball on an Army Base

Nicole Williams' Son Grew Up Watching Her Play Basketball on an Army Base — Now He's Playing in the NBA Finals

Published: June 5, 2025

By Natasha Dye

Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams is set to compete in his first NBA Finals game on June 5, and his mom, Nicole Williams, couldn't be prouder. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Nicole reminisces about the early days of playing basketball with her husband Ron and sons Jalen and Cody on an Air Force base.

Over the 12 years that Nicole was active in the United States Air Force, her best memories included playing basketball on the base with her family. "We'd go to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona with the boys, and we'd play on their courts and make a weekend day out of it," Nicole recalls. "Basketball is pretty big on base, pickup games are a big deal."

Now, Cody, 20, plays for the Utah Jazz, and Jalen, 24, is set to compete in his first NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nicole describes her sons as both "very competitive" people. She says Jalen took his role as an older brother to heart and always wanted to be a good example for Cody on and off the court.

Cody and Jalen Williams trade jerseys.

Nicole's husband Ron was active military for 24 years and is recently retired, but the proud parents of two NBA players still have a lot on their plate supporting their sons' dreams — especially when it comes to their individual needs. "They had two different paths to get to the NBA, and they were both hard," she recalls.

Cody was drafted tenth overall by the Jazz in 2024, two years after his brother was selected by the Thunder. "A lot of people would say, 'Oh, your brother made it. Does that put pressure on you?,'" she recalls. But their family was "prepared" for that narrative, says Nicole.

Cody and Jalen Williams on June 24, 2024 in New York City.

Nicole, now a family nurse practitioner, moved to Utah temporarily with Cody when he was drafted. She says her dedication is reminiscent of Donna Kelce's method of attending both of her sons' NFL games before Jason Kelce retired. Nicole even has her own split-jersey à la Donna with both the Jazz and Thunder represented.

When Nicole watches her sons play, she's not looking for how quickly they can cross over an opponent or defend the rim. Instead, she's looking at her boys express themselves through the sport they love, and she advises other moms of basketball stars to do the same.

Nicole Williams.

"You're going to blink and the next thing you know they're older, doing whatever they're doing, whether it's basketball or not. Just stay in the moment and enjoy the moment, because there's a lot of things that are missed," says Nicole.

Jalen and the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Indiana Pacers in the Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June 5.