It’s only one game, in the Summer League, but Chet Holmgren certainly looked the part of a future NBA star in his first game action with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Holmgren — the No. 2 overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft — put his unicorn-esque skillset on display in Oklahoma City’s 98-77 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
The former Gonzaga Bulldogs star scored 23 points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out four assists, and blocked six shots, with a game-high plus/minus of +26 in 23 minutes played. Holmgren scored those 23 points efficiently too; he was 7-of-9 from the field, 4-of-6 on threes, and 5-of-5 at the charity stripe.
But the defense from Holmgren — listed at 7’1″, 194 pounds — may stand out the most to NBA evaluators. His six blocks are even a Summer League record. And he told ESPN that he’s “coming to break it again.”
Here’s a look at how the basketball world — and even Holmgren himself — is reacting to Holmgren’s dominant NBA Summer League debut: