Chet Holmgren's OKC Thunder teammates on hand for high school jersey retirement

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren's high school jersey was retired Friday night at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis.

And he had plenty of familiar faces there supporting him as many of his OKC teammates were on hand.

It was one of two stops on the homecoming tour for Holmgren, who grew up in Minneapolis. The Thunder (28-13) will face the Minnesota Timberwolves (30-11) Saturday night at Target Center in a battle between the top two teams in the Western Conference standings.

More: Jalen Williams shows in OKC Thunder win vs. Jazz how fourth quarter is 'his time to shine'

What Chet Holmgren said at his jersey retirement ceremony

"I don't got too many words for everybody," Holmgren said. "I don't want to keep these two teams from playing any longer than I already have. I'd just like to say thank you to everybody. I've been trying to make my rounds to say hi to everybody, but I probably won't be able to make it to everyone, so this is my chance to say thank you to everybody who helped give me the opportunity to become who I am and to make this possible for me.

"I just want my jersey to be on the wall as an example to the standard that should be kept for everybody who walks through the doors of this school. If you help uphold that standard, it might not help get your jersey retired, but it will help you do great things in life. So, again, thank you everybody for coming."

More: What's next for Josh Giddey as NBA continues review into OKC Thunder guard?

Who is OKC Thunder's Chet Holmgren?

OKC Thunder standout Chet Holmgren earned top Western Conference honors in recent weeks for his play in December.

Holmgren, a 7-foot-1 forward/center, averaged 17.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in 13 games throughout the month and was named rookie of the month for the Western Conference.

Holmgren was also named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November, giving him back-to-back selections. He's averaging 17.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game this season.

OKC selected Holmgren with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He's still considered a rookie because he missed all of last season due to injury.

More: OKC Thunder player grades: Where each player stands at NBA midseason mark

Chet Holmgren in Minnesota

Holmgren helped Minnehaha Academy win four state championships from 2017-21. He averaged 21 points and 12.3 rebounds as a senior and earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors.

Holmgren finished his high school career as a five-star prospect and the consensus top player in the 2021 recruiting class. He spent one season at Gonzaga before the OKC Thunder selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren high school jersey retired