Suns' Monty Williams Reveals Thunder's Gesture Honoring His Late Wife
The Suns managed to pick up their fifth consecutive win on Sunday in Oklahoma City, taking down the Thunder 128–118.
Before the game, head coach Monty Williams had a special shoutout for the Thunder organization, revealing a heartwarming gesture from the franchise in honor of his late wife.
His wife, Ingrid, died on Feb. 10, 2016, in a car accident in Oklahoma City. At the time, Williams was serving as the associate head coach of the team.
Via Duane Rankin of AZ Central, Williams revealed that the Thunder left Ingrid's usual seat at the Paycom Center vacated for Sunday's game during what would have been his wife's birthday.
"Today would have been my wife's birthday, and they chose to honor my wife today by not allowing anybody to sit in her seats," explained Williams after the game. "When I found out this morning, it really messed me up. Because it really speaks to how blessed I am to do what I do... and how much they care."
Monty Williams thanked the #Thunder organization for honoring his late wife today by not having anyone sit in seat she sat in when he was an Oklahoma City assistant in 2015-16 season.
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 2, 2023
Today would've been her birthday. Ingrid Williams died in a car accident Feb. 10, 2016. #Suns pic.twitter.com/Z6f0cmaWYU
Williams expressed his gratitude for executives Sam Presti and Ayana Lawson, as well as the rest of the Thunder organization, for their classy gesture on Sunday. He expressed that while there was some desire to keep the matter private, he wanted to publicly recognize the actions from the franchise.
Williams first learned of the gesture on Sunday morning ahead of the matchup between Phoenix and Oklahoma City, and clearly, the move from the organization went a long way with the 51-year-old.