Ziaire Williams turned a Bruno Mars concert into his own personal highlight reel this weekend, dropping to one knee inside SoFi Stadium and proposing to his girlfriend right as the singer launched into “Marry You.” The Lakers forward's new teammates might want to take notes on timing, because this was about as smooth an assist as anyone could draw up.
According to LakersNation, Williams made his move during the concert at SoFi Stadium, catching the moment on video as he got down on one knee in the crowd. The outlet reports he waited specifically for Mars' hit song “Marry You” before popping the question, a detail that suggests some serious pregame planning went into the proposal.
The romantic gesture comes just months after Williams locked down his next NBA home. ESPN reported the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to sign the 6-foot-9 forward to a one-year, $3 million contract. The deal gave Williams a fresh opportunity after stints with two other franchises, and per LakersNation, he entered training camp as one of several Lakers players competing for a starting role.
From Memphis to Brooklyn to Los Angeles
Williams' path to the Lakers wound through two other NBA cities. ESPN's report notes he spent three seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies before joining the Brooklyn Nets in 2024, while the same outlet separately described him as having played 56 games last season, averaging 10.2 points and 2.4 rebounds for Brooklyn. LakersNation, meanwhile, described him as having spent the last two years with the Nets before making the jump to Los Angeles.
The two outlets also differ slightly on Williams' age, with ESPN's report listing him at 24 and LakersNation describing him as 25. Either way, he arrives in Los Angeles with legitimate NBA mileage and, as of this weekend, a fiancée.
Bruno Mars Sets the Mood in Inglewood
The soundtrack to Williams' big moment came courtesy of Bruno Mars' stop at SoFi Stadium, part of what setlist archive setlist.fm lists as a performance during The Romantic Tour. Setlist.fm's records show Mars played SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, delivering exactly the kind of love-song catalog that makes for prime proposal material.
It's not the first time Mars' tour has unexpectedly turned into a backdrop for a life-changing moment. A couple similarly went viral earlier this year for getting engaged during a Bruno Mars concert at Rogers Stadium in Toronto, according to NOW Toronto, suggesting the singer's live shows have quietly become something of a proposal hotspot this tour cycle.
For Williams, the timing lines up with a pivotal stretch of his career. He's fighting for playing time on a new roster while now also planning a wedding — a pairing of storylines that gives Lakers fans two very different reasons to keep an eye on him this season.
