Kenrich Williams receives Key to the City from hometown of Waco, Texas

When you win an NBA championship, expect a busy summer where you're praised for the special achievement only a handful of players earn every year. The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen that firsthand over the last two months.

The Thunder completed one of the greatest seasons ever with the Larry O'Brien trophy. A historic 68-14 regular season translated to the playoffs. They captured a championship with a Game 7 win over the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals.

As the NBA enters its dead period of the calendar, players across the league have returned to their hometowns for the next two months before the 2025-26 regular season starts. Back in Waco, Texas, Kenrich Williams was welcomed like an NBA champion.

Williams received a Key to the City from his hometown of Waco. He joins a long list of Thunder players who received gifts and were celebrated when they returned to their homes this offseason after they won an NBA championship. Waco Mayor Jim Holmes announced the special occasion on social media.

"We were honored to host a Champion in our most recent City Council Meeting, as Waco Native Son Kenrich Williams came back to Waco after starring in the recent Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Playoff Championship," Holmes wrote. "He was an outstanding student-athlete at Waco University High and Texas Christian University, and I was proud to present Kenrich with a Key to the City. A wonderful guy with a beautiful family; and a really cool Mom!"

Kenrich Williams is one of the longest-tenured active Thunder players with five seasons under his belt. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort have been in OKC longer. From being a throw-in in the 2020 Steven Adams trade to carving out a rotation spot, he's had one of the better developmental stories.

Williams averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds last season. He shot 38.6% from 3 on 2.5 attempts. The 30-year-old helped the Thunder in their championship run. He was a matchup-dependent rotation player who enabled OKC to play small-ball in the playoffs when needed.

Williams has always been proud of growing up in Texas. He spent four college seasons at TCU from 2014-18. The Horned Frogs retired his jersey in 2024. He goes back to Waco every offseason to hold basketball camp and do giveaways for kids.

Kenrich Williams was given a Key to the City from his hometown of Waco on Saturday pic.twitter.com/7MuFqVLsvK

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) August 18, 2025

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Kenrich Williams receives Key to the City from hometown of Waco, Texas