Lakers’ Ziaire Williams proposes to girlfriend at SoFi Stadium
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
Ziaire Williams hasn’t logged a single minute for the Lakers, but he’s already got a highlight reel moment that has nothing to do with basketball. During Bruno Mars’s show at SoFi Stadium, with “Marry You” blasting through the speakers, the Lakers forward dropped to one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. The video is every romantic comedy cliché and somehow still genuine.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
Ziarie Williams has yet to play a single minute in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform but has already started to make memories he’ll never forget. While Mars was playing his hit song, “Marry You,” during the second night of his five-night residency at SoFi Stadium, Williams went for a buzzer-beater shot and hit nothing but net.
With the confetti falling from the ceiling of the stadium, Williams picked the perfect moment to get down on one knee and propose to his then-girlfriend, now fiancée, Paris Timan. New Laker Ziaire Williams just proposed to his girlfriend at the Bruno mars concert pic.twitter.com/14ojGK3cfa The moment was shared across the jumbotron at the stadium, while the two were seen jumping up and down, screaming in excitement.
After the engagement happened, SoFi Stadium shared a video and tagged both of them, with the caption, “It really was a beautiful night 🥹.” Timan who is known for her work as a fashion and commercial model, has been with Williams for at least a few years now.
The newly engaged couple are about to embark on a new journey together, as Williams signed a one-year $15 million deal with the Lakers over the offseason. Williams was once a Top 10 pick in the NBA out of Stanford, after he was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans and had his draft rights traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Williams spent three years in Memphis until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2024. Last season, he only appeared in 13 games after missing most of the season due to a small back fracture and lower back contusion from a hard fall in October.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
Ziaire Williams hasn’t logged a single minute for the Lakers, but he’s already got a highlight reel moment that has nothing to do with basketball. During Bruno Mars’s show at SoFi Stadium, with “Marry You” blasting through the speakers, the Lakers forward dropped to one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. The video is every romantic comedy cliché and somehow still genuine. Good for him.
There’s something refreshing about a young man making that kind of public declaration. We’re constantly told that marriage is outdated, a trap, or just a piece of paper. Then a 23-year-old with money, fame, and the world ahead of him decides to make his promise in the most over-the-top venue imaginable. That’s not old-fashioned. That’s bold. He didn’t need a PR team or a carefully staged social media rollout. Just a hit song, a ring, and the nerve to go for it.
For all the talk about how the American family is crumbling, moments like this remind you the old instincts are still there. A man standing up and asking a woman to be his wife is about as traditional as it gets. And it still gets the loudest cheer of the night.
We don’t know if Williams will ever score in a real game for the Lakers. But he already knows how to win at the things that actually matter. That’s a good trade.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.