Chet Holmgren, the big man for the Oklahoma City Thunder, showed promise in his rookie season but knows his place in the NBA hierarchy.
Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid is considered one of the most dominant players in the league, making him a tough opponent for the slender Holmgren. Although the OKC star’s “welcome to the NBA” moment didn’t come in an actual matchup against Embiid, it still happened.
“Before I got hurt, I was playing pickup. I played against (Joel Embiid), your new teammate,” Holmgren said on Sixers star Paul George’s podcast. “He didn’t disrespect me, but he behaved. And as you know, I hit shots and scored the game-winner. Then Drew (expletive) talked to him (Embiid), ‘You’re letting a rookie…’ and then he came out and just scored nine baskets in a row, we were playing one-on-one in the middle of a pickup game.”
Embiid never lets criticism go to his head, but lets his game speak for itself. This most recently happened at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where the French booed every game. The 30-year-old responded with an incredible performance and led Team USA into the gold medal game.
“He put eight guys on the other side of the court and said they can’t double-team and I can’t do that,” Holmgren continued. “People always say, ‘He’s not going to be able to defend Embiid when he gets to the NBA. Mother (expletive), nobody can defend him one-on-one. He sees double-team coverage every night.'”
Holmgren also experienced a second “Welcome to the NBA” moment when current Sixers big man Andre Drummond stripped him of the ball and brought him down on a fast break.
The Thunder are looking to lead the Western Conference for the second consecutive year, meaning Holmgren’s contributions on both ends of the court will be crucial.
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