Every player who has ever played in the NBA, from the scrubs to the all-time greats, had their “welcome to the NBA” moment.
It can be a tough transition, as all NBA players have always been the best player in their city, their state, the best player on their college team etc... but when they come to the league, that all changes.
Suddenly, everyone is “that” guy, the alpha dog who has mostly won, always dominated and is not used to being humbled.
So, every player has that moment, the one where they realize they are now with the best players in the world and humiliation can always be a second away.
Chet Holmgren talked about his “welcome to the NBA” moment in a recent episode of Podcast P with Paul George. Holmgren may be one of the future faces of the NBA, but Andre Drummond still had to teach the rookie some lessons.
Andre Drummond welcomes Chet Holmgren to the NBA
Chet Holmgren’s rookie season was technically his 2nd in the league, as he had to miss the entirety of his first season with an injury.
He had a spectacular rookie year, scoring over 16 per game on great shooting splits and blocking over two shots per game.
If Victor Wembanyama didn’t exist, Holmgren would have run away with the Rookie of the Year award and the two are the most exciting young defenders to enter the league since Hakeem Olajuwon.
Holmgren’s team was the top of the Western Conference in the regular season and he looks like a foundational player for the Thunder and one of the best young bigs in the league.
But it wasn’t all roses for his rookie season.
Andre Drummond gave the rookie a humbling moment way back in October, first dunking on him in paint. On the very next play, Drummond stripped Holmgren near the top of the key and then took it coast-to-coast, crossing over the rookie and sending him sprawling in one of highlights of the season for the Bulls.
As good as Holmgren looked at times last year, he was more like Bambi on ice on this play as the veteran Drummond reminded him that he still has plenty to learn.
Holmgren laughed about the situation, but no one wants to get crossed over like that, and when you are a skinny seven footer, it’s even more awkward and ridiculous looking.
The Bulls didn’t have many highlights last season, but Andre Drummond welcoming Chet Holmgren to the NBA was one of them.