Thunder star Jalen Williams needs surgery for broken leg and dislocated ankle

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams will undergo surgery to repair a broken left fibula and a dislocated left ankle after a serious injury on Sunday in an NBA game, the North American professional basketball league, against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Thunder won 108-101, but the loss of Williams, one of the team's key players, is a significant blow.

How the injury happened

Williams, a shooting guard, was hurt on a drive with 1:14 left to play. Under the basket at the Thunder's offensive end, his lower left leg and ankle turned at an unnatural angle. Medical staff treated him immediately, the game was halted for around five minutes, and several players were visibly shaken. Williams was taken off on a stretcher to a standing ovation, and from the stretcher he saluted the fans with two thumbs-up.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, fighting back tears in a post-game interview, said he simply felt bad for his teammate.

A second player needs an operation

On Monday the club announced that forward Cason Wallace was also hurt in the same game and needs surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip joint. His return date will be set after the operation, though such procedures typically require several months of rehabilitation.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti told a news conference that Williams is an elite competitor and is looking ahead to the recovery. He said the club is extremely optimistic about both players' recoveries and that things could have been a lot worse.

Earlier setbacks

Williams has already been an All-Star and an All-NBA player and was a major part of the Thunder side that won the 2024-25 NBA title. He entered the game averaging 18 points over his first 250 NBA games. Last season he missed 49 regular-season games, mostly with wrist and hamstring problems.

The club has faced other major injuries in recent years: Chet Holmgren missed his entire would-be rookie season with a foot problem, and 2024 first-round pick Nikola Topic missed all but 10 games over the previous two seasons.