It appears Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren will be a-OK after turning his ankle in a Seattle pro-am game, an injury that occurred while defending no less than LeBron James on a fast break.
Per Nathan Thompson of Fox23, Holmgren limped off the court but it didn’t appear to be anything “too serious.”
Holmgren actually defended the play well, forcing James to take an off-balance layup attempt, which he missed.
Eventually, though, the game was called the middle of the second quarter due to unsafe playing conditions. Humidity and a crowd of 3,000 inside the little Seattle Pacific University gym caused condensation on the court.
Here's the play where Chet Holmgren got hurt tonight. He was guarding @KingJames one-on-one. It's hard to tell how he got hurt. He might have just stepped weirdly. @ChetHolmgren @thecrawsover #thunder pic.twitter.com/AzUBYUgnyV
— Nathan Thompson (@NathanDThompson) August 21, 2022
“You don’t get a day like this often, but it’s my job to protect everybody’s safety,” said former NBA guard and league founder Jamal Crawford. “On the court, I couldn’t risk those guys taking a chance of getting hurt. It’s not worth that. It’s supposed to drive inspiration and give hope and they did that. The job was accomplished.”
Holmgren, 19, is 7-foot-0 and spent one season at Gonzaga, averaging 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds in 32 games.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, he has drawn comparisons to Kristaps Porzingis.
The official NBA Draft Guide wrote of his strengths: “Unique combination of length and skill. Elite defender with incredible shot-blocking instincts. Comfortable handling the ball in the open floor. Highly competitive and engaged at both ends of the court.”
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