BIOGRAPHY
Chet Holmgren was born on May 1, 2002 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a center/power forward in the NBA.
Holmgren grew up playing basketball under the tutelage of his father, a former college player. In sixth grade, he began attending Minnehaha Academy, a Christian private school in Minneapolis. He stood 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) at the time and was teammates with Jalen Suggs, whom he would play alongside through high school. Holmgren improved his shooting range while recovering from a broken right wrist during his first season. He grew about eight inches in the year before ninth grade.
As a freshman at Minnehaha Academy, Holmgren averaged 6.2 points and three rebounds per game. His team won its second straight Class 2A state championship. In his sophomore season, Holmgren averaged 18.6 points and 11 rebounds per game and led his team to another Class 2A state title. After the season, he had success with his Amateur Athletic Union team Grassroots Sizzle at the Under Armour Association, earning tournament most valuable player honors. As a result, he emerged as one of the highest ranked players in the 2021 class and started receiving more NCAA Division I interest. In August 2019, Holmgren attracted national attention for crossing over basketball player Stephen Curry at Curry's own SC30 Select Camp. On January 4, 2020, as a junior, Holmgren recorded nine points, 10 rebounds, and 12 blocks in a nationally televised victory over Sierra Canyon School, a nationally ranked team featuring Bronny James, Brandon Boston Jr., and Ziaire Williams. In his junior season, he averaged 14.3 points per game, leading Minnehaha to a 25–3 record. As a senior, averaging 21 points and 12.3 rebounds, Holmgren won the Class 3A state title, his fourth state championship at Minnehaha. He was named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, and Minnesota Mr. Basketball. Entering his junior season, Holmgren had about 30 scholarship offers from college basketball programs and in June 2020, he became the number one player in the 2021 class, according to ESPN. On April 19, 2021, Holmgren announced his commitment and signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for Gonzaga.
In his college debut, Holmgren tallied 14 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocks and 6 assists in a 97–63 victory over Dixie State. He became the first player in 25 years to record at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks in his debut. On November 22, the 7-foot freshman finished with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 3 of 3 at the free-throw line. At the conclusion of the regular season, Holmgren was named West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. At the NCAA Tournament, Holmgren recorded 19 points, 17 rebounds, 7 blocks and 5 assists in their 93–72 opening round victory over Georgia State. As a freshman, he averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. On April 21, 2022, Holmgren declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
Holmgren was selected with the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
