Small town in Arkansas responsible for 40% of Thunder's bench unit

When Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault turns to his bench in the upcoming season, he will likely call on a product of Fort Smith, a small town in Arkansas.

Two of the Thunder's key bench players—Isiah Joe and Jaylin Williams—were born in Fort Smith, which has a population of less than 90,000.

Joe and Williams both grew up in the town, were teammates at Northside High School—winning a state championship in 2017—and now wear the same uniform in the NBA.

The incredible story of these two players, the town that raised them, and the brotherhood and chemistry between them - from their teenage days to the Thunder's bench mob - is told in a two-part series called River Valley Roots , produced by the NBA.

How Fort Smith created two NBA players

In part one, Joe explains how such a small town created two NBA players.

"Fort Smith, Arkansas, always had athletes. People here, they work hard," Joe says in the opening line of the series.

Joe goes on to explain that what makes Fort Smith people unique is their work ethic and brotherhood. Over the years, he's developed that kind of brotherhood with Williams—a Fort Smith brotherhood.

"I think our bond is one that just keeps getting stronger and stronger," Joe said. "It's been a journey. It started when we were very young, and now we're older, but we're still going."

Coming back for the love

Jaylin Williams details in the series how emotional he gets every time he comes back home and meets locals who've known him throughout his childhood and his early years as a basketball player.

"Just to come back to Fort Smith, the love that I get," said Williams. "Seeing the people that I grew up around - that watched me come through this gym - it's always a great feeling."

The most emotional moment in the series comes at the end of part 1, with video footage of Williams' reaction upon learning that the Thunder selected him in the draft.

Key bench cogs, with potential for more

Williams, an undersized center at 6-foot-9, has proved to be a functional player within the Thunder's system due to his strong interior defense, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman . Williams was a starter for OKC for much of his rookie season (2022-23) but understandably played a much smaller role in Year 2, given the emergence of Chet Holmgren.

The sharpshooting Joe, who was often OKC's sixth man last season, recently resigned with the Thunder on a four-year deal worth $49 million. His long-distance accuracy has been essential for the Thunder's spacing, enabling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to isolate against defenders and easily score.

The two players are expected to grow into even bigger roles in the upcoming season. They have already put a small American town on the map. Now, they aim to bring a championship to a small NBA town.

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