Head coach Mark Daigneault knew that, ten days after he and the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals, starting forward Chet Holmgren was back in the gym, working on his game. The 23-year-old forward wasn't taking any chances. Holmgren will never forget the darkest days of his career amidst last season's 50-game absence. Another frustrating setback for the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, who forfeited his rookie year due to a Lisfranc injury.

With the fear of another significant setback lingering, Holmgren didn't waste much time celebrating after winning Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers, stepping directly into his offseason workouts, in less than two weeks, he said, per ESPN's Anthony Slater.

“Nothing's worse for your body than not training,” Holmgren said. “I learned

See Full Page