Chet Holmgren

Holmgren is one of the most uniquely skilled big men in the NBA, combining 7 ft 1 in size with guard-like ball-handling, three-point shooting, and shot-blocking. Drafted second overall by Oklahoma City in 2022, he missed his entire rookie year due to a foot injury but returned to immediately impact the Thunder as a two-way force. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2024, helped the Thunder win the 2025 NBA championship, and was selected as an All-Star for the first time in 2026. His collegiate career at Gonzaga lasted one season, and his prep career at Minnehaha Academy established him as the consensus top player in the 2021 class.

Born Chet Thomas Holmgren on May 1, 2002, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he is the son of Dave Holmgren, who stands 7 ft 0 in and played college basketball at the University of Minnesota from 1984 to 1988. Chet began attending Minnehaha Academy, a Christian private school in Minneapolis, in sixth grade, where he was teammates with future NBA guard Jalen Suggs. As a freshman, he averaged 6.2 points and three rebounds and helped the team win its second straight Class 2A state championship. As a sophomore, he averaged 18.6 points and 11 rebounds and led the team to another state title. He had success with his AAU team, Grassroots Sizzle, at the Under Armour Association, earning tournament MVP honors and emerging as one of the top prospects in the 2021 class. In August 2019, he attracted national attention for crossing over Stephen Curry at Curry's SC30 Select Camp.

As a junior, he recorded nine points, 10 rebounds, and 12 blocks in a nationally televised victory over Sierra Canyon School, a nationally ranked team featuring Bronny James, Brandon Boston Jr., and Ziaire Williams. He averaged 14.3 points and led Minnehaha to a 25-3 record. As a senior, averaging 21 points and 12.3 rebounds, he won the Class 3A state title, his fourth state championship at Minnehaha. He was named Mr. Basketball USA, Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, and Minnesota Mr. Basketball.

In June 2020, after the reclassification of Jonathan Kuminga, Holmgren became the number one player in the 2021 class, according to ESPN. On April 19, 2021, he signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Gonzaga alongside former high school teammate Jalen Suggs. He played one season for the Bulldogs, where he demonstrated his unique skill set and NBA readiness. He declared for the 2022 NBA draft after his freshman year, and the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the second overall pick.

Holmgren missed the entire 2022-23 season after suffering a foot injury during a CrawsOver pro-am game. He returned for the 2023-24 season, averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, was named to the All-Rookie First Team, and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. In his second season, 2024-25, he averaged 16.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks, finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, and helped the Thunder win the NBA championship. He made his first All-Star appearance in 2026.

Holmgren is a modern unicorn who defies traditional positional definitions. At 7 ft 1 in, he handles the ball like a guard, shoots from deep with legitimate range, and blocks shots with elite timing and length. He attacks closeouts, drives past slower big men, and finishes with either hand. His three-point shooting stretches defenses and opens driving lanes for himself and his teammates. Defensively, his length and anticipation allow him to protect the rim without fouling excessively, and his mobility lets him switch onto wings and guards in pick-and-roll coverage. His main areas of development are adding lower-body strength to handle physicality, refining his post game, and continuing to improve as a playmaker out of short rolls. His combination of size, skill, and defensive impact has drawn comparisons to some of the most versatile big men in league history.

Holmgren enters the 2025-26 season as an All-Star and the cornerstone of the Oklahoma City Thunder. His résumé includes four Minnesota state championships, Mr. Basketball USA, Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith Prep Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American selection, one season at Gonzaga, a second overall draft selection, a lost rookie year due to a foot injury, an All-Rookie First Team honor, a 2025 NBA championship, second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and a 2026 All-Star selection. His path from Minneapolis through Minnehaha Academy and Gonzaga into the Oklahoma City rotation reflects a career built on unique skill, rapid recovery from injury, and the translation of high school and college dominance into championship-level NBA production.