How Chet Holmgren went immediately from ring ceremony to firing rockets

OKLAHOMA CITY — After getting his Oklahoma City Thunder championship ring and watching the memorial service The rise of the 2024-2025 NBA Champion Thunder banner in the horns in the Paicom center, Chet Holmgren he was eager to start the regular season. He went 7-for-7 from the floor, scoring 18 of his 28 points in the first half of Oklahoma City’s 125-124 double-overtime win against the Houston Rockets.

Holmgren hit the ground. Starting the 2025-26 campaign with a strong performance, Holmgren also finished with seven rebounds and two assists, while helping Thunder versus Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun, who led Houston with 39 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block.

“We all kind of talked about it. You have to be there and enjoy the ceremony, but as soon as it’s over, we have to get ready to play,” Holmgren said. “It wasn’t perfect early. It wasn’t perfect the whole game – credit to our team. Credit to the guys – that’s what they do, just find a way to get the win.”

After scoring five points in the first half, Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 12 points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime. Tari Eason denied a potential game-winning layup by Gilgeous-Alexander to force a second overtime, where SGA baited Kevin Durant into a pump-fake before scoring the game-winning drive at the free throw line with just 2.3 seconds left.

Chet Holmgren at the Thunder’s championship ceremony

Thunder forward Chet Holmgren was folding his championship ring during the postgame media availability. After beating the Rockets to open the season, Holmgren took a moment to reflect on the emotional pregame ceremony that gifted a special chapter in franchise history.

“I’m so happy to see the success and happiness of everyone else out there. I’m happy to share that with them — to share that moment with them,” Holmgren said. “The rings, the banner, the fact that we won — that’s forever. No one can take that away from us. That banner will hang in Oklahoma City for a long time. I’m happy that we can share that with the city. But we also understand our organization. They put 0-0 in our rings.

“Everybody knows we’ve got to turn the page and keep trying to get better and better. Last year was the last year, and we’re going to have that forever, but it doesn’t go on forever. So we’ve got to turn the page.”

The Thunder will face the Pacers in a rematch of the 2025 Finals on Thursday.