Looking Back On Chet Holmgren's Recovery One Full Year Later
A year ago today, Chet Holmgren was coming out of surgery on a foot injury that would keep him out of play for his entire first season in the NBA.
After being selected No. 2 in the NBA Draft and starring in Summer League, Holmgren had high hopes for his first season with the Thunder. There was a hole in the lineup and room for significant playing time.
He spent most of the summer in the gym, finding pickup games and ways to stay on the court. In Seattle, at a Pro-Am game, Holmgren was going head-to-head against LeBron James and landed awkwardly on a fast break. It was deemed a Lisfranc injury, which would cause the year-long absence.
After the devastating injury, Holmgren immediately underwent a procedure — which was exactly a year ago to today’s date. Since then, it’s been an uphill battle to return to the court, but he’s attacked it head on.
Holmgren built up the strength on his foot after the initial surgery and was seen in a walking boot and on a scooter. In December, he underwent “a successful secondary procedure” to “remove hardware” from the initial Lisfranc operation. This was the last surgical step to recovery, and all that was left was letting the injury fully heal. Once it was healed, Holmgren would finally be able to start rehab and take a step towards on-court work.
Towards the second half of the season, Holmgren was seen ramping up workouts on the court, and even participated in five-on-zero offensive work. Despite his positive recovery and impressive strides, the Thunder erred on the side of caution. The waiting game was the hardest for Holmgren, who desperately wanted to play.
His first live action came this summer in Salt Lake City, as Holmgren once again starred for Oklahoma City’s Summer League team. He was an elite shot blocker and figured out ways to score despite not playing five-on-five basketball in over a year.
Holmgren also participated in Team USA training camp and drew rave reviews. He’s one of the best young defensive prospects in the NBA, and after a long season of recovery, he’s finally ready to show it.
Even after the injury, expectations are still sky high. Everyone who watched Summer League and has followed Holmgren’s journey understands his serious potential as a basketball player. If he reaches that ceiling in Oklahoma City, he could be the final piece to the puzzle in an already blossoming core.
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