Thunder’s SGA reveals exact moment he knew Chet Holmgren is a special player

OKLAHOMA CITY — From the very beginning, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knew Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star forward Chet Holmgren would be a special player. After years of injury setbacks, including last season, when a fractured hip injury forced him to miss 50 regular-season games, Holmgren earned his very first All-Star selection in 2025-26. Now, he’s taken his game to new heights in the playoffs.

Holmgren, alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, has led the Thunder to a perfect 5-0 start, topped by a 108-90 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers. After the win, Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on Holmgren’s path to stardom.

“The first day, when he walked through the door, you could just tell how much he cares about the game and his game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He really wants to maximize his potential. And that’s all it comes down to — a guy who wants to be the best version of himself gives himself the best chance to get there, and usually, it works out for guys like that.”

When SGA knew Chet Holmgren was a special player: “The first day, when he walked through the door, you could just tell how much he cares about the game and his game. He really wants to maximize his potential.

And that’s all it comes down to — a guy who wants to be the best… pic.twitter.com/thJfNJlVOc

— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) May 6, 2026

Chet Holmgren finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the Thunder’s 18-point win against the Lakers. He’s averaging 18.6 points on an impressive 57.4/45.0/93.3 percent shooting splits through five playoff games.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Thunder’s Jared McCain impact

Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addressed Jared McCain’s impact off the bench in Game 1 against the Lakers as an unsurprising development in the series opener. On a night where Gilgeous-Alexander coughed up seven turnovers, he gave McCain credit for being a spark off the bench that helped keep the Lakers at bay in the second half.

“He’s been great. When his number’s called, he’s been ready, feels like every time, which is really hard to do,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Coming into a new situation is hard to do, especially with the outside distractions. He’s had two feet in the circle, we call it. He’s out there for a reason. He helps us win, and he’s helped us win multiple games, and big-time games this season, and he did so again tonight.”

McCain led the bench with 12 points on 4-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc in Game 1.

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