Chet Holmgren

Drafted 2nd overall in the 2022 NBA draft, he played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. A consensus five-star recruit and the number-one player in the 2021 class, he stands 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) and plays the center and power forward positions.

Chet Holmgren

Holmgren with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2023
No. 7 – Oklahoma City Thunder
Position	Center / power forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(2002-05-01) May 1, 2002 (age 22) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Listed height	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight	207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school	Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
College	Gonzaga (2021–2022)
NBA draft	2022: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder
Playing career	2022–present
Career history
2022–present	Oklahoma City Thunder
Career highlights and awards
Consensus second-team All-American (2022) WCC Defensive Player of the Year (2022) WCC Newcomer of the Year (2022) First-team All-WCC (2022) WCC All-Freshman Team (2022) National high school player of the year (2021) McDonald's All-American (2021) Jordan Brand Classic (2021) Nike Hoop Summit (2021) Minnesota Mr. Basketball (2021) FIBA Under-19 World Cup MVP (2021)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States FIBA Under-19 World Cup 2021 Latvia Team

Holmgren was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up playing basketball under the tutelage of his father, Dave Holmgren, who stands 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) tall and who played college basketball for the University of Minnesota from 1984 to 1988. In sixth grade, Holmgren began attending Minnehaha Academy, a Christian private school in Minneapolis. He stood 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) at the time and was teammates with Jalen Suggs, whom he would play alongside through high school. Holmgren improved his shooting range while recovering from a broken right wrist during his first season. By ninth grade, Holmgren had grown to 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m).

As a freshman at Minnehaha Academy, Holmgren averaged 6.2 points and three rebounds per game. His team won its second straight Class 2A state championship. In his sophomore season, Holmgren averaged 18.6 points and 11 rebounds per game and led his team to another Class 2A state title. After the season, he had success with his Amateur Athletic Union team Grassroots Sizzle at the Under Armour Association, earning tournament most valuable player honors. As a result, he emerged as one of the highest ranked players in the 2021 class and started receiving more NCAA Division I interest. In August 2019, Holmgren attracted national attention for crossing over basketball player Stephen Curry at Curry's own SC30 Select Camp.

On January 4, 2020, as a junior, Holmgren 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. In his junior season, he averaged 14.3 points per game, leading Minnehaha to a 25–3 record.

As a senior, averaging 21 points and 12.3 rebounds, Holmgren 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.

Recruiting

Entering his junior season, Holmgren had about 30 scholarship offers from college basketball programs. In June 2020, after the reclassification of Jonathan Kuminga, he became the number one player in the 2021 class, according to ESPN. On April 19, 2021, Holmgren announced his commitment and signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for Gonzaga, following his former high school teammate Jalen Suggs.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Chet Holmgren C	Minneapolis, MN	Minnehaha Academy (MN)	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Apr 19, 2021
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 1  247Sports: 1  ESPN: 1
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Gonzaga 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021. "2021 Gonzaga Bulldogs Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021.

 

In his college debut, Holmgren tallied 14 points, 13 rebounds, seven blocks, and six assists in a 97–63 victory over Dixie State. He became the first player in 25 years to record at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in his debut. On November 22, the 7-foot freshman finished with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 3-of-3 at the free-throw line. At the conclusion of the regular season, Holmgren was named West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. At the NCAA tournament, Holmgren recorded 19 points, 17 rebounds, seven blocks and five assists in their 93–72 opening-round victory over Georgia State. As a freshman, he averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game.

On April 21, 2022, Holmgren declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2022–present)

Holmgren was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, making him the highest-selected draft pick ever taken out of Gonzaga and the highest-drafted pick from the state of Minnesota, topping Kevin McHale, who was taken third overall in 1980. Holmgren joined the Thunder's 2022 NBA Summer League roster. In his Summer League debut, Holmgren scored 23 points with seven rebounds, four assists, and six blocks in a 98–77 win against the Utah Jazz. He also broke the record for the most blocks in a single Summer League game. On July 5, 2022, Holmgren signed a rookie-scale contract with the Thunder. However, on August 25, it was announced that he would miss the entire 2022–23 NBA season due to a Lisfranc injury in his foot that occurred during a Pro-am game.

On October 25, 2023, Holmgren made his NBA regular-season debut, putting up 11 points and four rebounds in a 124–104 win over the Chicago Bulls. On October 27, Holmgren put up 16 points, 13 rebounds, and seven blocks in a 108–105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, breaking the franchise record for most blocks in a single game by a rookie. On November 18, Holmgren put up a career-high 36 points along with 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, two blocks, and two three-pointers in a 130–123 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors. He also joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies in NBA history to put up at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, one block, and two three-pointers made in a game. On December 4, Holmgren was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in October/November. On April 25, Holmgren led the Thunder to a 124–92 Game 2 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, with 26 points and seven rebounds.

Holmgren represented the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Latvia. He averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 blocks per game, leading his team to a gold medal, and earned tournament MVP honors.

NBA

College

Listed as a center, many observers note that the lanky Holmgren is a versatile player who moves, handles, shoots, and jumps fluidly and deftly, more like a guard than a big man. His vertical and running leaps are much stronger than average for a center or power forward, and his 7-foot-6-inch (2.29 m) wingspan contributes to his standout blocking and rebounding abilities. Holmgren plays a strong inner and outer game, with superior three-point shooting compared to others of his size and position.

Holmgren's father, Dave, played 57 games of college basketball for Minnesota from 1984 to 1988. Holmgren has two sisters.