The Oklahoma City Thunder announced their rookie Chet Holmgren, second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, will miss the entire 2022-23 NBA season. Holmgren will be out due to a right foot Lisfranc injury he suffered earlier this week.
OKC’s general manager Sam Presti confirmed the news via a statement issued on Thursday, saying that the organization is convinced Holmgren will bounce back from the injury and have a “long career” with the Thunder.
“One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus,” said Presti. “We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation.”
Holmgren got injured while defending the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar LeBron James during a CrawsOver Pro-Am. The Gonzaga product consulted various foot specialists in recent days before he and the Thunder decided on the surgery. The procedure is expected to take place “in the coming weeks.”
Chet Holmgren averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks during his lone season with the Bulldogs. He was taken second overall by the Thunder despite having Jabari Smith Jr., the projected first overall pick, being overlooked by the Orlando Magic, who held the No. 1 selection.
Holmgren played five games for OKC during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds while showing some exciting defensive abilities.
