Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, reflecting on Chet Holmgren’s resilience, shared insights into the moment he recognized the rookie’s toughness.
Following a dominant performance in Game 2 against the New Orleans Pelicans, Gilgeous-Alexander recounted a pickup game game in Toronto, where Holmgren showcased his physicality and competitive spirit despite facing larger opponents.
“The year Chet got drafted he came to Toronto I think that summer and we played pickup against one of the teams from the CBL [Canadian Basketball League]. It was a bigger guy and he was battling physically even though obviously he was giving up a lot of pounds. And talking smack and all that stuff. I knew Chet had that fire in him from that couple of summers ago,” Gilgeous-Alexander.
In a resounding 124-92 victory for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander’s leadership and Holmgren’s stellar performance contributed significantly to the team’s success.
With Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 33 points and Holmgren adding 26, the Thunder displayed both offensive firepower and defensive resilience.
