Serena Williams isn’t related to an American professional basketball player, Jalen Williams, despite sharing the same surname.
Netizens speculated about their familiar lineage when Serena congratulated the Oklahoma City Thunder forward for winning the 2025 NBA title.
Highlights
- Serena Williams is the youngest of five daughters born to tennis coaches Oracene Price and Richard Williams.
- Jalen Williams is the middle child born to United States Air Force professionals Ronald and Nicole Williams.
- They have confirmed their familial lineage, and their cousin’s claims remain another instance of social media fueling unexpected celebrity rumors.
Jalen had never tried alcohol before his 2025 NBA championship, but he fulfilled his promise after defeating the Indiana Pacers for the championship ring.
He drank a few shots of champagne and a beer, which he felt was disgusting.
Yesterday was my first time drinking ever, like, I’ve never had a drink up til that point. And the beginning of the season, the guys wanted me to drink. But I told them, win a championship, I’ll drink, I’ll do whatever you guys want.
Jalen Williams
Jalen began playing basketball at Perry High School, where he was named the Chandler Unified School District Player of the Year and received the 2017–18 Region Offensive Player of the Year award.
He committed to play college basketball for Santa Clara over offers from Hofstra and Nevada. Later, he declared for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility.
The Oklahoma City Thunder drafted him in the first round with the 12th pick and made his NBA debut on October 19, 2022.
Jalen was named to the 2023 Rising Stars Challenge and later named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, becoming the second Thunder player to be named to it in 2023.
i can’t celebrate my achievements because in my mind, it was my obligation to achieve them.
Jalen Williams
Serena Williams And Jalen Williams Come From Different Family Background
Serena Williams has achieved enormous fame as a tennis player, and Jalen as an NBA player. They are both renowned figures in sports entertainment.
Although they share the same surname, they don’t have any familial connection. However, netizens believed they were cousins.
Serena Williams Tearfully Thanks Parents, Venus
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) September 3, 2022
Multiple grand slam winner, Serena Williams, broke down in tears as she expressed gratitude to her parents, Richard and Oracene, as well as her sister, Venus. pic.twitter.com/zwsuGwWyjJ
Serena Jameka Williams, the daughter of Oracene Price and Richard Williams, was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan.
She is the youngest of five daughters, after her half-sisters, Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha Price, and her full-sister, Venus. Likewise, she has at least seven paternal half-siblings.
Her parents, both tennis coaches, relocated to Compton, California, where Serena began playing tennis at the age of four.
Richard Dove Williams Jr. is the eldest of five children born to Julia Mae Metcalf and Richard Dove Williams of Shreveport, Louisiana. He has four younger sisters, Pat, Barbara, Penny, and Faye.
Meanwhile, Oracene Price, aka Brandy, was the daughter of an automotive worker from the Mississippi Delta. She was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1952.
Richard and Oracene divorced in 1973, but they have continued to remain jointly supportive of their children’s future.
On the other hand, Jalen Devonn Williams, the son of Ronald and Nicole Williams, was born on April 14, 2001, in Denver, Colorado.
He grew up with his elder sister, Jasmine, and younger brother, Cody Williams, who plays for the Utah Jazz.
Jasmine earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University and works at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Arizona.
Ronald and Nicole both served in the United States Air Force and met during their service in the early 1990s. They met while playing basketball on an Air Force base.
Nocole has 12 years of experience as a medical professional, whereas Ronald has 24 years of experience as a jet engine mechanic and logistics specialist.
Jalen’s family moved frequently while growing up, visiting military bases in South Korea, Japan, and Germany.
Happy Mother’s Day to the most beautiful woman in the world! I’m so blessed to share my life with such a virtuous woman. You are the best mom EVER!
Ronald Williams
Serena Williams And Jalen Williams Related Rumors Spread From A Facebook Post
The Box Score’s recent Facebook post sparked rumors about a family connection between tennis icon Serena Williams and Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams.
It featured a photo of Serena congratulating Jalen after his 2025 NBA championship win.
Tennis legend Serena Williams congratulated her cousin, OKC’s Jalen Williams, for winning the 2025 NBA title!
Box Score PH
However, fans were quick to question the claim. Many pointed out that Serena had never mentioned Jalen as a relative before, and the two have no publicly known family ties.
Milkman Aldrich commented, “They aren’t related. She just said that She just said that because of the same last name, and also called Ryan Williams (football player) a cousin.”
It left the rest open to speculation, and others joined in, noting that shared last names don’t always mean family connections.
Neither Serena nor Jalen has addressed the rumor, leaving fans to wonder if it was just a playful comment or a simple misunderstanding.
It appears that the “cousin” claim remains unverified, another instance of social media fueling unexpected celebrity rumors.
Additional Information
- Serena Williams won 73 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including 23 major women’s singles titles.
- The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranked her as the world No. 1 in women’s singles for 319 weeks and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times.
- She married Alexis Ohanian on November 16, 2017, and they have two daughters, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. and Adira River Ohanian.
- As of 2025, her net worth is estimated at $300 million.
