The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the Western Conference Finals, but their success may mostly depend on the condition of one player. Jalen Williams has been struggling with injuries throughout the year, and a post he shared on social media for a short time reveals his mindset at the moment quite well.
Reporter Clemente Almanza spotted the post and shared a screenshot on X. Williams had something up on his Instagram story that got people talking before he took it down.
Jalen Williams’ Instagram Story and What It Really Means
GettyOKC Star Jalen Williams Shares Then Deletes Message About “Suffering”
Williams posted a meme on his Instagram story that read: “Oh, I don’t drink alcohol or do dr*gs. I like my suffering RAW. Thanks.”
He deleted it shortly after, but it was up long enough for people to notice. Coming from a guy managing a serious hamstring injury in the middle of a playoff run, that is not just a random repost.
And the stakes could not be higher. Williams averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 48.4 percent from the field this season. He is one of the best player of this Thunder’s offense, and right now, nobody knows when he plays again in this series.
Jalen Williams Injury Update Ahead of Game 3
GettyThunder’s Jalen Williams Goes Viral Over Deleted Post During Injury Recovery
Williams returned from a six-game absence for the first game of the Western Conference Finals against San Antonio. He battled through it and still caught fire, scoring 26 points, grabbing 7 boards, and handing out 3 dimes in 37 minutes of play. Still, the Thunder lost to the Spurs 122-115 in double overtime.
Clearly, Game 2 was a different ball game. Williams was on the court for seven minutes only before he limped off with tightness in his left hamstring and went straight to the locker room.
The Thunder eventually took the win 122-113, tying the series at 1-1 with the downside of this victory being now the main worry as we approach Game 3.
He is reported to undergo an MRI, with Shams Charania adding he is being evaluated day to day with no timetable set for his return. This is the same left hamstring that cost him six games earlier in the playoffs, and the concern now is whether it has gotten worse.
Williams has just played in 33 games the entire season as he was recovering from a right wrist surgery at the beginning of the year and then a series of hamstring problems that didn’t stop. The Thunder are still in the race, but carrying on to the later rounds of this series without him would definitely mean a lot of pressure on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as his teammates.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Thunder’s Jalen Williams Sends a Strong ‘Suffering’ Message Amid Injury Concerns appeared first on HEAVY.