For NBA players, emotions show why basketball is more than just a sport to them. From the fulfilling moment of getting drafted to the triumph of winning a title, sometimes, there are just no words that can capture the joy of these milestones–so they cry.
But that was not true for Oklahoma City Thunder star power forward Chet Holmgren.
In a “Boardroom” episode, Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero asked Holmgren about his reaction to winning the championship with the Thunder and being drafted second overall in 2022.
“Bro, that s–t was the sickest thing you’ll ever do,” Holmgren said of the championship while playing NBA 2K with Banchero, who was shocked with his reaction.
“I didn’t cry. Honestly, it’s crazy cause I didn’t cry when I got drafted. I didn’t cry when we won it… I’m not a happy crier,”he added.
The time Chet did cry
As stoic as Holmgren makes himself out to be, he admitted that he has sometimes cried, particularly when he got injured. Fans and critics have worried in the past about Holmgren’s promising career because he was injury-prone. Injuries for big men like him and San Antonio Victor Wembanyama were common.
Standing at 7 feet and weighing 195 pounds, Holmgren missed his entire rookie year due to a Lisfranc injury. He sustained it when he challenged a LeBron James drive on a fast break in the CrawsOver Pro-Am event in August 2022.
Although he would come back stronger in the next season, many have wondered what would have happened if he had never sat out his first year in the NBA.
Then, early in the 2024-2025 season, he suffered another serious injury. In November 2024, Holmgren fell hard on his right side after defending Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins during a drive. The injury turned out to be a right iliac wing fracture in his pelvis.
The injury would sideline him until February 2025. Looking back, the All-Rookie First Team member said the pain was just unbearable, which ultimately forced him to cry.
“I’m not a crier, bro, but when I got hurt, I cried both times,” he recalled. “That s–t is f–ed up.”
He continued to be a solid starter for the Thunder for the rest of the season and during their finals series against the Indiana Pacers, in which they won their first title in franchise history in seven games.
Chet’s reaction on draft night and the OKC title
Holmgren may not have shed tears of joy during these two achievements, but he did celebrate in his own way.
After Adam Silver called his name, Holmgren was seen hugging his parents and other people at his table, his face barely showing any signs of excitement as OKC fans cheered him on. In the post-draft interview, Holmgren said he felt “a mix of a thousand emotions” after getting selected second overall and becoming the highest pick in Gonzaga’s history.
Holmgren celebrated his most important achievement in his young career three years later–winning the ring and hoisting the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. The Thunder became the youngest NBA team in history to win a title since the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers.
The Thunder rejoiced when the buzzer sounded and made OKC’s title win official. They carried eventual Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams teared up. Meanwhile, Holmgren walked to the sidelines, appearing stoic and cold once more.
He did celebrate traditionally with his teammates in the locker room, shouting, cheering and popping the champagne a little too early.
The Thunder are expected to be championship contenders in 2025-2026, with their championship team still together, led by SGA. Now, the 23-year-old Holmgren will aim to reach greater heights this season.