Chet Holmgren still hasn’t played a regular season game with his Oklahoma City Thunder.
After being selected as the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Holmgren faced a nasty injury right before his first season started.
Now he’s about to officially join his team and he is looking to make a difference.
And he’s minding his manners and avoiding any controversial statements that could get him in hot water.
Sitting down on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Holmgren refused to rank Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.
“1A, 1B, 1C…Each of them did so much for the game, I feel like it kind of diminishes the respect that we should be giving to them,” Holmgren said when asked to choose which player was best.
He then added: “It’s a compliment to each of them that you’re even arguing about it.”
That was a very diplomatic answer from the rookie star.
However, it’s also accurate too.
Jordan, James, and Bryant all changed the NBA in substantial ways.
And they all found their own version of great success.
It’s trivial to debate who is the best out of all three when they each have been so consequential.
Besides, any ranking is just a matter of taste.
As Holmgren said, the fact that these three are always debated shows how important they are.
We will likely see many more comments and interviews from Holmgren in the weeks ahead.
He is preparing to make his own impact on his Thunder and the league too.
Oklahoma City has been a team to watch for several seasons now.
When they acquired Holmgren, there was speculation that they could be true playoff contenders.
His injury prevented that but now that he is healed and ready to play, the Thunder could be making even more noise in the West in the new season.
NEXT: Chet Holmgren Explains Why He's Not Adding Extra Weight
