NBA
CH
#7

Chet Holmgren

Forward · Oklahoma City Thunder · 7'1", 208 lb · Born May 1, 2002 · Minneapolis, Minnesota · Drafted 2nd overall, 2022
2025 Champion2026 All-StarFinals G7 block record2nd pick, 2022
NBAOklahoma City ThunderForwards
Compare:vs Mitchellvs Carusovs Wallacevs Hartensteinvs Williamsvs Dort
In short

Chet Holmgren is a 7-foot-1 unicorn big for the Oklahoma City Thunder — the starting center on the 2025 championship team and a rim-protecting, floor-spacing anchor. Drafted 2nd overall in 2022 out of Gonzaga (the highest-drafted Minnesotan in NBA history), he lost his entire rookie year to a Lisfranc foot injury, then returned to make All-Rookie First Team and, in the 2025 Finals Game 7, set the record for most blocks in a Finals Game 7 with five. A 2026 All-Star, he averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and elite shot-blocking in 2025-26.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceTue, Nov 10
@Denver NuggetsSwitch-heavy
Proj. points
17.3
range 14.6–20
Line 17
54%
to go over
Team win
37%
113–116
Poi 17.3 Lean overReb 9.1 Lean overAss 1.7 OverPRA 28.1 Lean over
Likely on himJonas Valančiūnas· 74 Rim protectionSolid defender
15+ pts78%20+ pts18%

Model lines Holmgren at 17.3 pts (range 14.6–20) vs a 17 line — a lean to clear it (54%).

Model favors Denver Nuggets (63%), projected 113–116, ~229 total at 98.9 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Holmgren
The Holmgren Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

A 7-foot-1 unicorn who lost his whole rookie year — then blocked his way into the record book on the biggest night of his life.

The son of a 7-foot Minnesota Gopher, Holmgren won four state titles at Minnehaha Academy and a WCC Defensive Player of the Year award at Gonzaga before OKC took him 2nd overall in 2022 — the highest-drafted Minnesotan ever.

🏀 Gonzaga · WCC DPOY2nd pick, 2022

Then a Lisfranc foot injury erased his entire rookie season. He came back to make All-Rookie First Team and anchor a defense built around his length.

🩹 Lisfranc · lost rookie yearAll-Rookie First Team

In Game 7 of the 2025 Finals he swatted five shots — the most ever in a Finals Game 7 — to help clinch the title, then signed a five-year deal worth up to $250M.

🏆 2025 champion5 blocks · G7 record

An All-Star by 2026, he averaged 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds on 55% shooting, the two-way keystone of a young dynasty.

⭐ 2026 All-Star17.1 / 8.9 · .557
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
17.1
2025-26
RPG
8.9
per game
APG
1.7
per game
FG%
.557
.362 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

The 7-foot-1 unicorn who blocks shots like a center and shoots like a guard — Oklahoma City's championship anchor.

Chet Thomas Holmgren was born in Minneapolis to a basketball family — his father Dave, a 7-footer, played at the University of Minnesota — and won four state titles at Minnehaha Academy before a dominant lone season at Gonzaga, where he was WCC Defensive Player of the Year. The Thunder took him 2nd overall in 2022, the highest-drafted player in Gonzaga history and the highest-drafted Minnesotan ever.

A Lisfranc foot injury wiped out his entire 2022-23 rookie season, but he returned to make All-Rookie First Team and become the defensive backbone of a champion. In Game 7 of the 2025 Finals he set a record with five blocks — the most ever in a Finals Game 7 — and signed a five-year extension worth up to $250 million that July.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Basketball is in Holmgren's blood: his father Dave stood 7-foot and played college ball at Minnesota (1984-88), and Chet grew up a Minneapolis gym rat who stacked four straight state championships at Minnehaha Academy alongside future NBA guard Jalen Suggs. He has two sisters and remains closely tied to his home state as the highest-drafted Minnesotan the league has ever seen.

His body — a 7-foot-1 frame with a 7-foot-6 wingspan on a lean build — made him one of the most scrutinized prospects in years, and the Lisfranc injury that cost his rookie season only sharpened the doubts. His answer was a championship and an All-Defensive-caliber season, a quiet vindication of a player who was never built like anyone else.

PERSONALITY

The person

A cerebral, unflappable two-way unicorn — a shot-blocking anchor who moves and shoots like a guard.

Rim protectorSet the record for most blocks in an NBA Finals Game 7 (five, 2025).
Stretch bigShoots the three at a rate rare for his size, warping defenses.
ResilientLost his entire rookie year to a Lisfranc injury, then won a title.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Stretch Big · Rim Protector
Temperament
Steady
Leadership
72/100
Scoring78
Playmaking46
Rebounding82
Perimeter D62
Rim protection92
Spacing80
Athleticism78
Clutch74
Elite shot-blockerStretch bigTwo-way anchor
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

The defense that decides playoff series

Holmgren's value shows up where championships are decided. His five blocks in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals were a record, and his rim protection lets Oklahoma City play aggressive, switch-heavy defense knowing there's a 7-foot-6 wingspan waiting at the back line. Pair that with rebounding and the roster's best interior presence and he is the single most irreplaceable defender on a champion.

A center who spaces the floor

Offensively he is a modern cheat code: a center who shoots from deep (36% from three in 2025-26 on real volume) and finishes at 55% from the field, which means opposing bigs can't sit in the paint. That gravity opens driving lanes for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams — the reason OKC's offense and defense both run through him.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-266928.917.18.91.7.557.362

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

Finals recordMost blocks in an NBA Finals Game 7 — five (2025)
DraftHighest-drafted Gonzaga player and highest-drafted Minnesotan in NBA history
CollegeWCC Defensive Player of the Year & consensus 2nd-team All-American (2022)

Hardware

1×
NBA Champion (2025)
1×
NBA All-Star (2026)
1×
All-Rookie First Team (2024)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 12, 2026

The two-way anchor of a young dynasty — locked in long-term as the league's most valuable rim-protecting stretch big.

Signed through the end of the decade on a deal worth up to $250 million, Holmgren is the defensive keystone and floor-spacing center every modern contender covets. At 24, with a title, a Finals record, and an All-Star nod already in hand, his ceiling is franchise-cornerstone.

Rim protectionElite
Two-way valueCornerstone
Floor spacing (big)Rare
Age / upside24 · rising

Contract

Deal
5 yr / up to $250M signed 2025
Role
Starting C anchor
Age
24 rising
Bottom line

The unicorn delivered on the hype: a championship anchor who protects the rim, stretches the floor, and just set a Finals record. The foundation of OKC's next decade.

FAQ

Quick answers

How tall is Chet Holmgren and where did he go to college?

He is 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and played one season at Gonzaga before being drafted 2nd overall in 2022.

What record did Chet Holmgren set in the 2025 Finals?

He blocked five shots in Game 7 — the most ever in an NBA Finals Game 7 — as the Thunder clinched the title.

Did Chet Holmgren miss a season with injury?

Yes — a Lisfranc foot injury in August 2022 cost him his entire rookie season before he debuted in 2023-24.