Although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the main man behind the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2025 NBA Finals win, they couldn’t have done it without Chet Holmgren. The 23-year-old big didn’t light up the scoreboard, but his defensive contributions and rebounding on both sides of the court were major factors that contributed to the Thunder lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy for the first time ever.
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Many criticized the fact that Chet didn’t put up big scoring numbers like some of the other Thunder stars did in the Finals. But true basketball fans recognized Holmgren’s impact and gave him his flowers after OKC’s seven-game victory over the Indiana Pacers. Dwyane Wade was among them, speaking about the 23-year-old on the latest episode of his podcast.
The Hall of Famer opened the conversation by comparing Holmgren to fellow Miami Heat legend Chris Bosh. Reflecting on the Heat’s Game 7 win over the San Antonio Spurs in 2013, Wade shared a stat about Bosh from that game that many fans likely don’t remember.
“A lot of people don’t even know Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Chris Bosh scored zero points,” he stated. “But that’s how important Chris Bosh was to our team, you didn’t notice that. It’s not just about the points. You go look at the stat line, he’s probably a plus for sure.”
D-Wade continued his praise of Bosh’s contributions in that game, including his hardcore defense on Tim Duncan. “You go look at the stat line, you’re not going to see the impact that Chris Bosh made on that game. Chris Bosh had to guard Tim Duncan in that game. He had to give up himself to guard Tim Duncan and the other bigs that came in there,” he continued.
It’s a solid comparison by Wade. Chet didn’t win MVP like SGA or knock down threes like Jalen Williams, but the Thunder are champions in part because of the things he did do. And more importantly, those things caught Wade’s attention. “He’s somebody who is very, very important, especially defensively for this team. He’s a big guy, able to switch like that and protect the paint, but also guard up at the three. Man, that’s huge,” said the three-time NBA Champ.
That said, Wade acknowledged that Chet still has a lot to learn, but emphasized that he’s in a great place in his career and off to a fantastic start. “Chet is having a very impressive start to his young career, and I hate people taking shots at him. He has so much more to learn about the game. He’s a perfect piece for these guys right now,” said Wade.
Chet still has his best years ahead of him. The Thunder just wrapped up one of the most impressive statistical seasons and playoff runs in recent history. By sticking with the team that drafted him No. 2 overall and helped turn him into a star, Chet has positioned himself for long-term success. If he keeps learning and evolving, his ceiling is sky-high.
