Former Gonzaga teammates Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard exchange jerseys after NBA game
The Gonzaga men's basketball program has produced several young NBA stars over the past 10 years - arguably none bigger than Chet Holmgren.
Holmgren, 21, is in a two-man race with San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He's averaging 16.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks for the Oklahoma City Thunder after missing all of last season with a foot injury.
Holmgren has played a big role in OKC's resurgence as the Thunder are 45-20 and currently tied for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Holmgren helped lead Gonzaga to a 28-4 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in the 2021-22 season. The point guard on that Zags' team was Andrew Nembhard, another rising NBA star for the Indiana Pacers. Holmgren and Nembhard faced off Tuesday night in Oklahoma City and shared a cool moment after the game, swapping jerseys.
Nembhard, who is averaging 9.0 points and 4.3 assists in his second season with the Pacers, recently joined Gonzaga Nation to talk about Holmgren's impact and what a special player he is.
"He's the epitome of what the league has become," said Nembhard of his former Gonzaga teammate. "Guys playing all different types of positions; you got little guys setting screens and rolling, you got big guys shooting 3s, coming off ball screens, passing the ball well.”
