Showing off the ring in front of former stars without Chet Holmgren’s championship is going viral
On Tuesday evening, The Oklahoma City Thunder have moved to 1-0 in the young 2025 NBA season with a thrilling double overtime victory for the hosts via the Houston Rockets. Both teams entered this matchup without a player, but in the end Oklahoma City was able to pull away on two free throws by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander late in the second overtime.
Before the game, the Thunder were honored for their recent 2025 NBA championship by receiving championship rings and raising a banner to the rafters.
After the game, the big man Chet Holmgren stopped by NBC’s postgame show with Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady and showed off his championship ring.
Some fans found humor in the fact that neither Anthony, Carter, nor McGrady ever won a championship during their careers (via @courtsidebuzzig on Instagram).
To be fair to Holmgren, former players asked to see the ring, so he wasn’t showing off or trying to make anyone feel bad. Still, one can only imagine what the Hall of Famers must have been thinking in the presence of something they never managed to accomplish in their illustrious careers.
Big win for the Thunder
Chet Holmgren started the game well against the Rockets, consistently finding seams in Ime Udoka’s zone defense and punishing Houston with a barrage of mid-range jumpers as well as finishes around the rim. What made things even more impressive for Oklahoma City was that they were able to secure their biggest competition in the West without their second-best player, Jaylen Williams, who is still recovering from offseason wrist surgery.
Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shook off a slow start to the game to finish with 35 points, including a clutch jumper that sent the game into overtime and two free throws that eventually won it.
With the emotions of ring night now in the rearview mirror, the Thunder will now look to fully settle into the 2025-26 season and become the first team in most of a decade to repeat as NBA champions.
2025-10-22 17:32:00
