Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Karl Rasmussen

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." 

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.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.