No matter the player’s star power, every NBA player experiences their “Welcome to the NBA” moment early on.
Andre Drummond of the Philadelphia 76ers was credited with giving Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder his moment.
Holmgren shared the incident during a conversation with Sixers star Paul George on ‘Podcast P.’
Holmgren recalled, “My welcome to the NBA moment was when I got stripped by Drummond, and he made me fall on the fastbreak in my first game. I was so salty after the game. I got asked about it being my welcome to the NBA moment and I didn’t want to say yes, but now looking back it’s kind of funny.”
Drummond’s first stint with the Sixers was before Holmgren’s time in the NBA. Holmgren joined the Thunder in 2022 after excelling at Gonzaga as the second-overall pick.
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Holmgren, as a high-end pick, had all eyes on him entering the league. Unfortunately, his NBA debut was delayed due to an injury during a Pro-AM bout in the offseason before his official rookie year, causing him to miss the entire 2022-2023 season.
Holmgren returned to play last year, appearing in 82 regular season games and ten playoff matchups, standing out as the Thunder hoped.
He averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists per game while shooting 53% from the field and nearly 40% from three-point range.
Despite a successful rookie season, Drummond had the honor of providing Holmgren an unforgettable early moment while playing for the Chicago Bulls.
After a two-year run with the Bulls, Drummond is back in Philly, eager to support Joel Embiid once again as the veteran center.
