Chet Holmgren was celebrated Friday evening as he saw his jersey retired by his alma mater, Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, but the Oklahoma City Thunder forward didn’t come alone.
Holmgren, one of the favorite for this year’s Rookie of the Year, was joined by most of his NBA teammates and coaches for the celebration during halftime of the Redhawks’ 65-33 win over Providence Academy.
Joe Doerrer of Strictly BBall captured the moment on Twitter as each one of Holmgren’s teammates and coaches walked into the gym single file toward the beginning of the game.
Almost the entire OKC Thunder organization just pulled up to Minnehaha Academy in Minnesota for the high school jersey retirement of Chet Holmgren.
A special night for Chet, Minnehaha, and the entire Minnesota basketball community. pic.twitter.com/HP7i92AvBj
— Joe Doerrer (@jd3hoops) January 20, 2024
Holmgren’s celebration came later in the night as he received a framed edition of his No. 34 jersey and became the second player in school history to have his number retired, joining former Minnehaha Academy and current Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs.
Chet gets his high school jersey retired at Minnehaha Academy in front of friends, family and Thunder teammates 👏 pic.twitter.com/1nnyOmraCX
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 20, 2024
“This is my chance to say thank you to everybody who helped give me the opportunity to become who I am and to make this possible for me,” Holmgren said via the Thunder’s social media account.
Holmgren starred with the Redhawks as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 player in the recruiting Class of 2021 averaging 21 points and 12.3 rebounds per game while winning Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball winner and leading Minnehaha Academy to the Class 3A state championship.
Holmgren went on to play at Gonzaga, averaging 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in his lone season with the Bulldogs before being selected with the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Holmgren missed the 2022-23 season with a right foot injury but has made up for lost time this year. The 21-year-old is averaging 17.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 41 games this season and has put himself into the Rookie of the Year race with San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Most importantly, Holmgren has been at the front of a surprising season for Oklahoma City, who are second behind the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference with a 28-13 record.
Holmgren’s Thunder will take on the Wolves in a massive Western Conference matchup at Target Center on Saturday night.
