Former Gonzaga star Chet Holmgren on NBA titles and all-star nods: ‘They don’t see the grind’
DALLAS – Last June, Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder won an NBA championship. In February, Holmgren was named an NBA All-Star for the first time.
And with his Thunder – who open the playoffs on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. against the Suns, who beat the Warriors in Friday’s play-in game – owning the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, OKC is a heavy favorite to repeat as champs.
Life is good for Holmgren, who was drafted second overall in 2022 after spending his freshman season at Gonzaga. But the former Zags center says he doesn’t take anything for granted.
“It’s been something,” Holmgren said of his past year. “Obviously, there’s been a lot of highlights, but I’d say the challenges it takes to get to those highlights, they’re not as broadcasted.
“It’s a highlight-driven business and people don’t see all the challenges you have to go through. They don’t see the grind. They don’t see the travel schedule, the back-to-backs, extra workouts. They don’t see all that extra stuff that it takes to get there, but they’re not supposed to. That’s why it’s our job to do that stuff. They get to pay to watch just the fun stuff. Nobody wants to pay to watch us grunt in the weight room.”
After an injury-riddled 2024-25 season that limited him to 32 regular-season games, Holmgren shined in last year’s championship run, averaging 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds.
He’s carried that over to this season. In 69 regular-season games, he averaged a career-best in points (17.1) and rebounds (8.9) while still averaging nearly two blocked shots per game.
The individual and team success hasn’t come by accident or luck, he says, but by hard work.
“I love to do all that stuff,” Holmgren said before a Thunder game against the Dallas Mavericks last month. “(But) I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a lot of days or moments where I’m like, ‘oh, my body hurts, this one’s going to be a tough one today.’
“But again, nobody knows how you’re feeling so you got to go out there and do what you got to do to play and win basketball games. There’s 17 guys on the roster and I’m sure we all have different days where our body is going through it, but we got to go out there and perform at our best for each other, have each other’s backs, the organization’s backs. I feel like we have a lot of guys with that mindset and that’s how we’re able to accomplish some of the things that we’re able to accomplish.”
Still growing
Mark Daigneault has been OKC’s head coach since 2020, working his way up from coaching their G-League affiliate, the Blue, to serving as a Thunder assistant to becoming a first-time NBA head coach. And Daigneault, the 2025 NBA Coach of the Year, continues to be impressed with the progression Holmgren displays in every facet of his game.
“First thing is … his physical base has only increased over time,” Daigneault said. “Coming into the league as a rookie, you’re just not at the physical base. Nobody is, but him specifically – he was playing the five and he’s a light frame, obviously.
“He’s really done a great job with his body and improving his strength.”
Holmgren’s mental progression in his first two-plus seasons in the league has been equally notable, Daigneault said.
“(The improved strength and understanding of the game) is showing up in a lot of ways, and just learning … how to manipulate himself as a help defender off the ball,” Daigneault said. “He also can shift to the five and play those fundamentals.
“Offensively, he’s only improved as he’s tightened his game. He’s tightened his handle. He’s made better decisions. He’s shooting more shots when he’s open. He’s made massive improvements over time.”
Kelly, Wemby and the Spurs
If playoff seeds hold, Holmgren’s Thunder would end up facing the No. 2-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals.
“You hate to see it,” Holmgren laughingly says of Olynyk mentoring the 7-foot-5 Wembanyama. “(The Spurs are) a group of young guys that are really talented and you don’t want to see them getting any extra help. That’s me saying that jokingly.”
Holmgren arrived to the Zags a decade after Olynyk, but says he got to pick his brain during a summer visit while he was at GU.
“He was great when I was at Gonzaga,” Holmgren said of Olynyk. “He came up there before the season and talked to the group, gave us some inspiration, some words of teaching.
“My year was the first of NIL, so he gave us some wisdom on how the whole business of basketball worked, which was great,” he said. “I even got a chance to work out with him before I went to Gonzaga. He’s obviously a very skilled guy, a very skilled basketball player, but a smart player. That’s how he’s carved out a career for himself here in the NBA for over a decade. I’m glad to see him still doing his thing.”
Friendly rivals
Holmgren says he always relishes the opportunity to play against one of the several former Zags in the NBA, whether it’s Julian Strawther in Denver, or Drew Timme with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s great,” Holmgren said. “(A February game in Denver) was my first time starting against Julian (Strawther). He got the starting nod, which is amazing. I just saw Drew (Timme) when we played the Lakers. It’s great to see these guys getting an opportunity to keep doing what they love, playing basketball every day. It’s great to bump into them, see them as I’m trying to do my thing.
“When we’re playing against Julian, it’s not like I’m just going to let him get a layup because he’s a Gonzaga guy, but it’s hard not to cheer or clap for them a little bit when I see them make a play, get a bucket or something.” he said. “I want to see Julian go for 30 and the Nuggets lose.”
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.