Chet Holmgren sounds off on Jokic’s joke about his frame

The Oklahoma City Thunder earned a massive bounce-back win on Monday to get back on track. After spending Sunday’s home opener getting blown out by the Nuggets, the Thunder responded with a blowout win of their own over Detroit. Just hours after having his best offensive game, Chet Holmgren came back against the Pistons to toss in four triples in an impressive performance.

With the OKC Thunder sitting at 3-1, Chet Holmgren has been impressive right out of the gate. A debut a year in the making for the Gonzaga big man, who was selected 2nd overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Following the Lisfranc Fracture that shelved Holmgren all last season, the big man came back around 13 pounds heavier than his original listing. This did not curb many fans from poking fun at his wire-y frame or making proclamations that he will never survive in the NBA.

Chet Holmgren sounds off on Nikola Jokic’s joke about the Rookies frame following Sunday’s game.

That joke was perpetrated by two-time NBA MVP and Finals MVP Nikola Jokic. Following the Nuggets beating the Thunder on Sunday, as Chet Holmgren posted 19 points and four rebounds while shooting 58 percent from the floor.

After Jokic joked on Sunday that Chet Holmgren needs to “Get Fatter,” Holmgren responded on Monday night when asked about these post game comments from the Nuggets center “It’s hard to get Fatter when you’re not fat.”

This has been a joke, and lame criticism, of Chet Holmgren’s game his entire life. The 21 year old has been on the hot seat due to his lanky frame since his High School days. Fear of him “breaking” when playing Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Joel Embiid. Well, he has already taken bumps at NBA speed from two of the three and is still standing.

At the end of the day, no one can shut down Nikola Jokic alone. It is a team effort. If there was some magical Jokic stopper, he would not be an all-time great. As a rookie big man, Holmgren through four games, at one of the toughest positions to adjust to, is already making a highly positive impact.

The Chet Holmgren weight jokes will never die, it will be a constant crutch for discourse around the OKC Thunder big man for the length of his career. Put it in the pun Hall of Fame of overused dumb jokes such as “CP0 Rings” and “LeMickey.”

But the OKC Thunder big man has done a good job at returning fire in a playful manner, and has the mindset, and skill, to become a really good NBA player.