OKC Thunder: The Breakfast Club step into the spotlight

OKC Thunder: Kenrich Williams

It’s fair to say that Williams is the OKC Thunder’s new cult hero.

When Williams was with the New Orleans Pelicans, he was referred to as the “heart and soul” of the team. And there’s no surprise why.

The 26-year-old’s hunger, spark, and outright effort off the bench and when called to the starting lineup is second to none. He was nicknamed ‘Kenny Hustle’ in College by Billy Wessels who covers Texas Christian University Sports (TCU).

It was after a tremendous game where he recorded nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench. Everyone was amazed at his aggression and willpower which are attributes you just can’t teach.

Nothing has changed seven years later. So far this season, he is averaging 5.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists playing fewer minutes than last season. He is also in the best shooting form of his career, shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from three.

This saw him erupt for a career-high 24 points, six rebounds, and three steals against the Lakers last week.

Though it took a lot of persistence to get to this point. A four and a half-hour drive from Oklahoma City in Waco, Texas is where Williams is from.

Coming out of University High School, he didn’t receive any Division-1 scholarship offers. So he signed with New Mexico Junior College and then was recruited by TCU who he joined in 2014. In his senior year, he helped lead them to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years. While there he also majored in sociology.

Then in the 2018 draft, he was ready to hear his name called. He had a draft party but wasn’t selected on the night. That didn’t discourage him and instead motivated him to work even harder. Williams went on to play for the Denver Nuggets in the summer league and then was picked up by the Pelicans.

He wears number 34 because of Paul Pierce and as a Texas native, his favorite teams growing up were the Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs. It’s quite ironic with the Thunder having a history of intense battles with the Spurs.

One thing’s for sure, just like Waco, Texas must be proud of how far Kenny has come, OKC is enjoying every moment he’s playing in Thunder colors.