Chet Holmgren’s next chapter with the Oklahoma City Thunder is already being framed by the guys around him as a response to disappointment, not a retreat from it.
As the Thunder get set to open the 2026-27 regular season against the San Antonio Spurs - the team that knocked them out in last season’s Western Conference Finals - veteran Kenrich Williams said Holmgren has met the offseason with the same edge that has defined his rise.
“The thing about Chet is he loves adversity,” Williams said. “He's always been a hard worker ever since I met him.
He's always been about basketball. So, none of that has changed.
He put the work in this summer. I'm excited to see his growth and what he's able to help us out with this year cause there's going to be something new this year as well.
He's a big part of who we are as a team and a big part of us winning, to be honest with you. I'm looking forward to playing with Chet and getting back out there with him.”
Williams also pointed to the pressure Holmgren has carried since being selected second overall in 2022, saying the All-Star has handled the spotlight with the kind of steadiness that usually separates good players from great ones.
“It's special. I have no idea what that feels like; to be in the spotlight since a young kid,” Williams added.
“But he's handled it well. He's the ultimate professional.
Ultimate teammate. He'll give you the shirt off his back.
He's that type of guy. The main thing has always stayed the main thing with Chet.
It's always been about putting the work in, and it's always been about basketball with him. When you got that combination and that mentality, and that work ethic, the sky's the limit.
SGA on Chet Holmgren bouncing back from Game 7 vs Spurs: “He works super hard. Has the right intentions. Gets the job done every night. Super motivated.
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) September 28, 2026
Just because he had a bad outing. to some, doesn’t mean those things change about him. He’s the same guy. Same character. I… pic.twitter.com/rwYTPus7G8
And he's young.”
Holmgren’s 2025-26 season made the leap real. He earned his first All-Star nod, landed on the All-Defensive First Team, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team after averaging 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. The expectation now is another step forward.
The only issue: his preseason never really got going. A right quad contusion kept him out throughout the preseason, and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault wouldn’t say for sure whether Holmgren would be available when the season tips off against San Antonio. An official update is coming soon.
“Everybody did something in practice today to varying degrees based on individual situations, but in terms of availability of any player, I'll leave it to the injury report,” Daigneault said. “We'll report at 5 o'clock the day before the first game.”
Oklahoma City wrapped up its preseason with a 116-89 loss to the Houston Rockets.
Even with the injury uncertainty, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t sweating what happened in Game 7 against the Spurs last spring, when Holmgren was held to four points. At Media Day, Gilgeous-Alexander made it clear he sees that night as an outlier, not a warning sign.
“Chet's a really, really, really good basketball player. Basketball is like life; there are ups and downs,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“He works super hard. Has the right intentions.
Gets the job done every night. Super motivated.
Just because he had a bad outing to some, doesn’t mean those things change about him. He’s the same guy.
Same character. I expect Chet to get better like he’s done his whole career.
“Still super young. Still has so many games ahead of him. I’m not worried about his development, him growing, and ultimately, this team growing because of how big of a cornerstone he is for us.”
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