SEVEN WEEKS AFTER his 23rd birthday, Chet Holmgren won his first NBA title. Ten days after celebrating it, Holmgren estimated, he forced himself back into the gym.
"Nothing's worse for your body than not training," Holmgren told ESPN. "I learned that being on bed rest for six weeks watching my muscle just f---ing wash away."
Almost everything about the Oklahoma City Thunder's dream ride to a 2025 NBA championship is remembered with radiance. But there's some gloom within Holmgren's retelling. It included the proudest and the darkest chapter of his basketball life.