Every player, no matter how high a draft pick they are, eventually has their ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment. Players that make it to the league have succeeded at every level till that point, which is a large part of the reason they enter the NBA. However, at the professional level, playing against grown, established stars takes some adjustment for even the best.
Now, this usually happens in the league once the season begins, but Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick, had his a little earlier. Despite not having played in the league yet, Holmgren faced none other than LeBron James when he participated in a CrawsOver Pro-Am league game. And there was a moment when he possibly realized what exactly the league has in store for him.
During the game, Holmgren was the last man left standing, going 1-on-1 against LeBron on the fast break. The King is almost unstoppable in transition, and he went hard to the bucket to make a layup. And while Holmgren tried his best to stop LBJ, he ended up hurting his ankle a little instead.
Chet’s ankle gone after defending a Bron layup 1 minute into the game… pic.twitter.com/8Lk5St12rD
— Steven Adams Stats (@funakistats) August 21, 2022
This is nothing to be ashamed of for the young man, the best defenders in the league would struggle to stop LeBron from getting to the hoop in that situation. And he gets props for trying to put his body in the way; it shows that he isn’t willing to give up easy points, even in exhibition games.
Although he came up hobbling a little, the Thunder will be hoping that it isn’t anything bigger than a small twist. Holmgren’s ego is likely injured more so than his leg. The good thing in this situation, though, is that it will give him some perspective on what the league is going to be like and get him to be that much better prepared.
