Chet Holmgren Takes Brutal Shot at Players Who Chase Stats Instead of Winning

Additionally, the NBA All-Star center also explained that he learned early in his career how important it was to sacrifice individual recognition for team success. Even during his lone season at Gonzaga, he was not the focal point offensively despite being one of the nation’s top prospects.

That mentality became one of the reasons Thunder general manager Sam Presti and head coach Mark Daigneault viewed him as a perfect fit for the organization.

Over the last several years, Oklahoma City has prioritized players with what the franchise calls “elite intangibles,” valuing unselfishness, defensive effort, and basketball IQ just as much as scoring ability. 

Players like Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams, and Isaiah Joe have embraced those roles within the system. Holmgren believes that approach eventually pays off financially, too.

Chet Holmgren Has His Teammate Betting 10-on-10 On Him 

The Thunder needed a response from Chet Holmgren in Game 5, and according to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, there was never any doubt it would come.

After struggling offensively for much of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Holmgren delivered one of his best games of the series Tuesday night. The Thunder big man finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds while helping Oklahoma City secure a 127-114 victory and a 3-2 series lead.

Afterward, Gilgeous-Alexander praised his teammate’s resilience while explaining why he never lost confidence in the Gonzaga alum despite the criticism surrounding his scoring struggles earlier in the series.

“As a player, you’re going to go through ups and downs. I don’t ever worry about Chet,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Just because I know how much he loves the game, how much he cares, how much he works. He’ll figure it out no matter what it looks like. I’ll bet on Chet 10 times out of 10.”

More importantly, Holmgren played a major role defensively against Victor Wembanyama.

The Spurs star finished just 4-for-15 from the field and struggled to find rhythm offensively outside of his perfect 12-for-12 night from the free-throw line. Holmgren, along with Oklahoma City’s rotating frontcourt defenders, consistently crowded Wembanyama’s space throughout the game.