Nikola Jokic once praised his on-court rival Chet Holmgren, before adding, “I think he needs experience. I think he needs to be a little bit fatter, to be honest.” When he was taken in as the 2 overall pick during the 2022 NBA Draft, the 7-foot-1 star weighed over 195 pounds, with his skinny frame prominently standing out, as he was inducted by commissioner Adam Silver. Fortunately, the player seemed to have initially heeded the Serbian’s advice, as he added over 13 additional pounds by October 2023. However, if his recent pictures are any indication, then the Thunder Center seems to have scaringly gone back to his old ways!

Social media users were unexpectedly surprised today, as a practice session picture of Chet Holmgren made the rounds of the internet. Completely shirtless, the player gave everyone a glimpse into his physical frame. While the muscle mass in his arms remained almost similar to what OKC fans had witnessed during the regular season, no one could have been prepared to witness the lack of proper fat in his torso and stomach region. With his ribs being visible even to the naked eye to other bones being prominently featured when they shouldn’t be, Holmgren certainly gave the impression of a person who hadn’t eaten anything for over a month straight!

Coming into the NBA, the center had heard many concerns that his thin frame wouldn’t stand out in a place as competitive as a basketball court. While the players of today may not have as big of a frame as legends like Shaquille O’Neal, heavy players like Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic continue to be a menace to the opposition. Even Victor Wembanyama, who is about 3 inches taller than Holmgren, weighs 210 lbs while keeping a certain amount of muscle mass intact. With almost four weeks remaining until OKC’s first game of the 2024-25 season, Holmgren’s current frame is not doing him any favors in winning over fans.

Chet Holmgren’s recent ‘skinny’ picture has the fanbase drawing embarrassing analogies to ‘war prison’

No sooner had the picture started to make the rounds than the fans descended onto social media to make their voice heard. The X account, @NBAMemes did not choose to play around with words, and outrightly stated that “Chet out here looking like he was rescued from a war prison.”

On the other hand, a rival Rockets fan used Chet Holmgren’s picture as a way to defend Alperen Şengün. The commenter believed that Thunder fans especially should not be criticizing their Turkish player when they have a center with that kind of a physical frame.

Currently possessing a 4-4 win record, the OKC and Houston Rockets rivalry is set to be a major one in the coming years. Both Chet Holmgren and Alperen Sengun have had their moments to shine during the recent seasons, with the Turk even earning praises from other international players like Dirk Nowitzki who made it big in the NBA. ESPN journalist Mike Wilbon even used him as an example when stating, “This is part of the reason why the NBA doesn’t want to put a US vs. Rest of The World game out there.”

One social media user felt that asking the player to bulk up by eating more and training with weights may not be enough. What Chet Holmgren allegedly may need is a slight boost, as the commenter stated, “Get that boy on roids. He looks like c–p.” Unfortunately, this is not the right way to go, as such substances are banned in the NBA.

The NBA reportedly has strict guidelines when it comes to the use of PEDs (Performance-enhancing Drugs). Despite this, back in April, former Warriors player Gilbert Arenas certainly raised some eyebrows by indicating that substances like steroids may have been prevalent in the 80s and 90s. The league today, however, takes strict precautions to avoid the same. From Damian Lillard getting his first drug test administered after dropping a career-high 71 points to Michael Carter-Williams getting tested at home after a picture of him being jacked went viral, the ‘absurd policies’ have certainly bewildered but also assured many fans.

Not everyone chose to hand out hate to the OKC player over his build. Rather than criticizing his lack of muscle or weight, another social media user instead complimented the player’s huge build by stating, “Chet built like a f—– titan.” After all, in a league where the average height stands as 6-foot-6 today, not everyone gets to tower over their counterparts in such a way!

The combination of a drastically tall and skinny stature raised concerns when Chet was drafted, with the question of whether he would be more injury-prone than others. However, in an interview with Business Insider, sports scientist Marcus Elliott stated, “When we see something that we’re not used to seeing, we just say, ‘Well, that can’t be, that’s not supposed to be.’ They say it about Chet being as long and skinny as he is. And just because you haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean it can’t work well when it actually appears.”

Unfortunately, the concerns ended up being true, as the player ended up missing the entirety of the 2022-23 season due to a Lisfranc injury on his right foot. The ‘titan’ was back for the next season and went on to make 82 appearances on the court. This time, after blocking players with his stature and making memorable jump shots, Holmgren’s height was an advantage.

Overall, the reactions were majorly critical of Chet Holmgren’s super skinny build. Whether the same will help or affect him badly during the upcoming season remains to be seen. What do you think?

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.