Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren showed much promise in his rookie campaign but knows his place in the NBA hierarchy.
Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid is regarded as one of the most dominant players in the league, making him a tough matchup for the slim-framed Holmgren. While the OKC star's 'Welcome to the NBA' moment didn't take place in a real matchup against Embiid, it nonetheless occurred.
"Before I got hurt, I was playing pick-up. I was playing against [Joel Embiid], your new teammate," Holmgren shared on Sixers star Paul George's podcast. "He wasn't disrespecting me, but he was bull [expletive]. And like you know, I was making shots and made a game-winner. Then, Drew was talking [expletive] to him [Embiid], "You let a rookie...' and then he came out and just nine straight buckets, we played one-on-one in the middle of a pickup game."
Embiid is never one to let criticism get to his head, but rather allows his play to do the talking. This most recently happened at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where French boos poured in during every matchup. The 30-year-old responded with a monster performance to lead Team USA to the gold medal game.
"He put eight people on the other side of the floor and said you're not allowed to double, and I couldn't do [expletive]," Holmgren continued. "People are always like, 'He's not going to be able to guard Embiid when he gets to the NBA'. Mother [expletive], nobody can guard him one-on-one. He sees double teams every night."
Holmgren also shared a second 'Welcome to the NBA' moment, where now-Sixers big man Andre Drummond stripped the ball from him and made him fall on the fastbreak.
The Thunder are looking to end atop the Western Conference for a second consecutive season, meaning Holmgren's contributions on both ends of the floor are crucial.
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