Chet Holmgren has already spent the summer trying to quiet the old “weak” talk. A new jab from teammate Jared McCain might have only made him more determined to keep at it.
In a recently surfaced video, McCain poked fun at Holmgren by saying that Oklahoma City’s team chemistry level is “definitely better than Chet's strength on 2K.”
Holmgren did not exactly laugh it off. He answered with a quick “alright bro,” though the moment seemed to land with him a little harder than he let on. Then he fired right back by challenging McCain to an arm wrestle, a small exchange that makes the idea of extra motivation feel pretty real.
That kind of edge would not be out of character for Holmgren this summer. Even before the 2K joke made the rounds, he had been showing up in images and videos working in the weight room and sharpening his game on the hardwood. From the fan side, it has been an encouraging look at a player who already had a big season and still seems intent on getting better.
Through 69 games played in 2025-26, Holmgren put together strong two-way numbers: 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from deep. That production earned him All-Star, All-Defensive and All-NBA honors, and he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The one ugly stretch came in the conference finals, where his numbers dropped to 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks against the objectively stronger Victor Wembanyama. Holmgren was visibly overpowered and outmuscled in that series, a reminder that his offseason work clearly had room to matter on both the skill and physical sides.
Training camp is only a few weeks away, so Holmgren will not have to wait long to see whether this latest slight gives him even more fuel.
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