"I'm going to be the best player in the league"- Andre Igoudala believes ego took over Chet Holmgren during summer league, says he underestimated NBA's star power
Andre Iguodala is not thrilled about Chet Holmgren's injury but believes it could be a learnable moment. He believes the second pick in the 2022 NBA draft was too cocky and underestimated what it is like to play in the league.
Holmgren suffered an ankle injury last month in a summer exhibition game. Early in The Crawsover Pro-Am game in Seattle, Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot while trying to defend LeBron James in transition.
Chet Holmgren appeared to injure his ankle while guarding LeBron on this possession 👀
https://t.co/AMbvC7N1sq
On "Point Forward," Iguodala and Evan Turner discussed the injury and what it could mean for the youngster. Iggy believes Chet Holmgren could learn a thing or two about the NBA to get better prepared.
"He's got to look at the positives, and I think that's the best way to take it. Learn the ropes of the NBA, understand the schedule. All those things could be used to your advantage cause confidence is a big thing in our league and you don't wanna rush him back too soon to get hurt again. So, you got to be real delicate with him."
He added:
"But at the same time I think this can humble him too, you know? Not to say humble him as he should have got hurt, but in terms of, you know, like your psyche could bring you back down to earth, and then you really get to see what NBA's like. LeBron ran into him and that happened, you know what I mean."
Iggy also noted:
"So it was kind of like, 'Whoa, I got some more work to do,' because he made a comment saying, 'I'm going to be the best player in the league when I get in the league, and it's like, hold on now, young fella. It's one thing to have confidence but you know, ego, there's two ways to ego. It can lift you up or most of the time, it hurts you. So hopefully, it does the former."
Many are calling for the NBA to consider allowing players to play in pro-am games. However, these are the closest events players have to real action during the five-month summer break.
Chet Holmgren will miss the 2022-23 NBA season
Fans had high expectations for Holmgren, who was supposed to further advance OKC's rebuilding plans. There was excitement about how he and Josh Giddey would work in pick-and-roll situations.
However, fans will have to wait at least one more year before they witness that partnership. Holmgren had successful surgery for his ankle injury but will have to sit out the entire 2022-23 season to fully recover.
Where do the Thunder go without Chet Holmgren? @ShamsCharania and @PatGarrity8 weigh in... https://t.co/X4LZHyLa1O
Several players have missed their rookie seasons and come back stronger. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are some of the most recent examples.
Chet Holmgren could be a superstar in the league if he improves his skill set. He has already been likened to Kevin Durant due to his shooting skills.