Chet Holmgren, one of the most promising rookies in the NBA, is undergoing evaluation after suffering ligament damage in his foot.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that Holmgren has “potential torn ligaments” and that “[a] timetable is being determined based on further evaluations.”
Order ‘An Evening with Shaquille O’Neal’ PPV – an uncensored interview live on stage in Australia 7:30PM AEST 25 Aug on Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel
The Thunder selected the 22-year-old Holmgren as the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga.
Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report observed that Holmgren appeared to injure his foot while guarding LeBron James in a pro-am game in Seattle on Saturday.
MORE COVERAGE
‘I want him to succeed’: Shaq opens up on his brutal criticism of ‘fine player’ Ben Simmons
How failed KD trade exposed ‘mind-boggling’ NBA reality … and left Lakers with $68m problem
How NBA playoff reality check lit a fire in Aussie … and why this is his best chance to explode
“It looked like Chet actually got hurt when defending LeBron on a fast break. You could immediately see it in his face,” Rooks tweeted.
She continued: “The Chet injury was maybe one minute into the game? As players continue to do this I wonder what effect this will have for pro ams and runs in general. Can absolutely see a world where contracts explicitly discuss injuries that happen outside of NBA regulated activities.
“I was literally at this game lol and very close the slippery floor was not an issue at the time this injury happened. Players started discussing the floor near the 2nd quarter. If Chet was affected by the floor conditions in this instance it was not known. The game continued.”
The 7-footer had electric performances at the NBA Summer League, and there were high hopes for his rookie season in Oklahoma City.
Should Holmgren be out for an extended period of time, it would be a major blow to Australian star and Thunder teammate, Josh Giddey.
Giddey and Holmgren were both excited as each other to share the court together and the latter’s presence is set to be a massive addition to the Thunder this season as they look to improve on a 24-58 record.
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been reposted with permission
.