Minnehaha Academy-grad Chet Holmgren to miss NBA rookie season with foot injury
FILE - Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren brings the ball up against Georgia State during the second half of a first-round NCAA college basketball tournament game March 17, 2022, in Portland, Ore. Oklahoma City selected Holmgren with the 2nd-overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File)
Chet Holmgren will miss the 2022-23 NBA season due to a foot injury he sustained playing in a pro-am event in Seattle on Saturday.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Holmgren has a Lisfranc injury – which involves broken bones and/or ligaments in the middle part of the foot, and typically damage to the cartilage covering the bones.
Oklahoma City selected Holmgren with the 2nd-overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft after he helped lead Gonzaga to the Sweet 16 in his lone season of college basketball.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti released a statement shortly after it was announced Holmgren was lost for the season.
“One of the things that most impressed us during the process of selecting Chet was his determination and focus,” Presti’s statement said. “We expect that the same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation.”
Holmgren, a Minnehaha Academy grad, was guarding LeBron James during a game at the Crawsover Pro-Am organized by former Timberwolves player Jamal Crawford.
The game in which Holmgren was injured was eventually called off in the second quarter due to unsafe court conditions. Humidity and a gym packed with fans contributed to condensation on the court.
It’s not clear if the court conditions contributed to Holmgren’s injury. He left the game before the problem seemed to develop.
NBA stars Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, Paolo Banchero and James were among the other NBA players participating in the event.