A little over two years since his arrival, Chet Holmgren has entrenched himself with the Oklahoma City Thunder both on and off the court.
If the Thunder experimented in the lab and created the perfect franchise cornerstone that aligns with their on-court play and off-court values, Holmgren would be the final result.
After being selected with the No. 2 pick in 2022, Holmgren has been everything the Thunder likely hoped for — and then some. He headlines their core and is part of their impressive trio of himself, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
The 22-year-old broke out in his rookie campaign as one of the best rim protectors. He also showed enough scoring prowess to grow in that area. He’ll see an uptick in ball-handling duties next season that will help him sharpen his blade.
Off the court, Holmgren can be found inside a gym most of the time. He’s had a busy offseason working on his game and physique. Most NBA players use the offseason to decompress and treat it like a vacation. But Holmgren is not like most NBA players. He famously “sleeps in his sneakers.”
When not sweating buckets, he’s giving back to the OKC community.
Holmgren has been a constant presence at local community events. In the last year, he’s opened local courts and hosted camps. The latest example was seen on Tuesday amid the slow portion of the NBA offseason.
Holmgren made the short trip to Norman, Okla. He hosted a local kids’ basketball camp and spent time playing against some of the campers.
Chet Holmgren camper Ethan wins one on one on a buzzer beating 3. When asked why he didn’t foul up 3, Chet said he didn’t believe in Ethan’s jumper. Ethan admitted to not calling bank. pic.twitter.com/oA9y3mU1cq
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) July 23, 2024
It’s always reassuring for Thunder fans to see players care about their community and not just treat their time in OKC as a job. Holmgren is one of the louder examples of this.
Expect the seven-footer to be a mainstay. He’ll likely sign an extension next summer to keep him with the Thunder for the foreseeable future. There will likely be many more basketball youth camps hosted in the future by Holmgren
