Santa Clara Professional Athletes

Brandin Podziemski can't catch a break to open the 2026-27 NBA season — and Santa Clara fans have been watching nervously from the jump.

The former Bronco guard was ruled out of Golden State's season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers with bilateral low back soreness, a jarring absence for a player who appeared in all 82 games a season ago. The Warriors lost that game without him. Then, after being listed as questionable ahead of the Warriors' second contest against the Memphis Grizzlies, Podziemski made it back into the starting lineup — only to take a shot to the face from Grizzlies center Zach Edey less than four minutes in, sending him to the floor in visible pain. He returned to finish the game, posting 18 points, 3 steals, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds in 32 minutes as Golden State fell 108-111 — but the durability questions only deepened.

The bad news kept coming. With the Warriors heading to Phoenix at 0-2, both Podziemski and Stephen Curry were ruled out against the Suns, leaving Golden State dangerously shorthanded at guard. For Bronco fans who watched Podziemski's iron-man campaign last year, the early-season injury spiral is an unsettling turn. The one silver lining: in the moments he has been available, his competitiveness and locker room presence have remained evident — Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has publicly credited Podziemski with helping him handle the unpleasant side of basketball and maintain positive energy through his first NBA season.

Jalen Williams Finds His Footing in OKC

Meanwhile, the other prominent Santa Clara alum in the league is trending in the opposite direction. Jalen Williams and the Oklahoma City Thunder opened their title defense with a 116-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs — though the game featured more drama off the stat sheet than on it, as Williams picked up a technical foul during a heated confrontation sparked when De'Aaron Fox threw Chet Holmgren to the floor. Williams, never shy about standing up for teammates, was one of three Thunder players named Williams to receive technicals. He was characteristically unbothered, offering to cover the fine for all three.

Williams followed that up with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in 33 minutes as the Thunder topped the Denver Nuggets 96-84 — a bounce-back performance after a quiet 12-point opener. Sports Illustrated noted Williams is getting back to his true level of play. At 0-2, the Warriors could use some of that momentum.

Graves Gets His Footing in Toronto

First-round rookie Allen Graves is seeing early run with the Raptors, logging 19 minutes in a 135-92 blowout of the Bulls — producing 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks — and 6 minutes against the Wizards in a 112-102 Toronto win. The sample size is small, but Raptors GM Bobby Webster has been vocal about what Graves brings to the roster. For a rebuild-minded Raptors team, the Santa Clara product is getting real NBA minutes in his first week.

Between Podziemski's health uncertainty, Williams' early excellence, and Graves stepping into the league, there's plenty for Bronco fans to track as the season finds its footing.

Brandin Podziemski Cashes In — and Earns It

Santa Clara's most prominent NBA alumnus just got paid — and the basketball world noticed.

Brandin Podziemski agreed to a five-year, $110 million rookie-scale contract extension with the Golden State Warriors last weekend, locking him in through the 2031-32 season. The deal, first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania and negotiated by agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, positions the 23-year-old as a cornerstone of Golden State's next chapter.

The contract came with a notable structural wrinkle: a $25 million mutual option in the final year — something Draymond Green flagged publicly as "weird," though the veteran's overall reaction was unambiguously supportive. Head coach Steve Kerr was equally forthcoming, describing the extension as a reflection of what Podziemski has proven on the floor.

The numbers back Kerr up. Podziemski played every game last season — including two Play-In Tournament contests — and averaged nearly 14 points, over five rebounds, and close to four assists per game. For a Warriors franchise navigating the twilight of the Stephen Curry era, that kind of reliable production from a young guard is exactly what the front office needed to lock down.

Podziemski himself wasn't short on gratitude. Speaking to reporters after a preseason game, he thanked Golden State for taking a "leap of faith" on him — a phrase that landed with appropriate weight given how much the organization is betting on his trajectory. He's also been drawing comparisons to Curry off the court: during Golden State's 101-89 preseason win over the Lakers, Podziemski went viral for what looked like a deliberate homage to Curry's signature style.

The extension reverberates beyond San Francisco, too. Reports suggest Podziemski's deal may create ripple effects around the league — most notably putting pressure on the Orlando Magic's ability to retain guard Anthony Black, whose market just got recalibrated by the $110M benchmark.

On the floor this preseason, Podziemski has looked the part. He dropped 17 points in Golden State's 128-118 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, sharing the scoring lead with Yaxel Lendeborg while Curry added 20.

Jalen Williams Still Savoring OKC's Sweep

The other active Santa Clara alum in the NBA has been in a good mood since last spring — and he's not hiding it.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams — who missed time during the 2026 Playoffs due to a hamstring injury — revealed this week that he spent OKC's sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers gleefully scrolling social media to watch Lakers fans' reactions in real time. Williams had to watch Ajay Mitchell carry the load in his absence; Mitchell responded with 22.5 points, six assists, and three rebounds per game, including a 28-point performance in the Game 4 clincher.

Williams enters the 2026-27 season healthy and ready to reclaim his starring role on one of the NBA's deepest rosters, with Thunder GM Sam Presti continuing to build around the core he assembled starting with the 2022 draft class.

Two Santa Clara alumni, two very different stories this week — but both pointed in the same direction: up.