OKLAHOMA CITY – Chet Holmgren sauntered into the Thunder interview room on Media Day a couple of weeks ago, crammed himself into a folding chair and waited for the heavy questions that would come.

For someone with such thin shoulders, the 7-foot-1 Holmgren sure bears a big burden on the future of Oklahoma’s NBA franchise.

Four months earlier, we saw Holmgren wilt against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals. In Game 7, Holmgren had four points, four rebounds and only two shots, in almost 33 minutes of court time. A ghastly, or ghostly, performance in the season’s biggest game. Yet not too much out of order from the rest of the series. Holmgren averaged 10.7, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots over the seven games, numbers well below his season average.

Not the most comforting performance going into an off-season in which the Thunder traded away some world-class depth in order to keep paying the stars. Holmgren included.

Holmgren’s new contract kicks in this season. The former Gonzaga standout jumps from $13.7 million a year to $41.5 million this season as part of a five-year deal that is worth about $190 million. Jalen Williams has virtually the same contract, up from $6.58 million last season.

No wonder Sam Presti traded Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. Next season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s salary climbs from $40.8 million to $61 million a year. No matter how many revenue streams the Thunder’s new arena will produce, it’s being built a block from Bricktown, not Midtown Manhattan.

Which means Holmgren and Williams have to be the stars they are purported to be and mostly have been. Williams made third-team all-NBA in 2025, and his ascension has been slowed only by injury. Holmgren made third-team all-NBA in 2026, and his ascension has been slowed by San Antonio’s 7-foot-5 Frenchman. Wembanyama is not just in Holmgren’s way; Wembanyama is in Holmgren’s head.

On Media Day, Holmgren addressed the Game 7 and West finals questions the way he approaches most things. Monotone. Emotionless. Matter of fact. And the fact was, the Thunder needs Holmgren to be better, way better, if another championship is headed to Oklahoma.

“I learned a lot from the year that we won it (2025), and I honestly think that my approach was very similar” this summer, Holmgren said. “Obviously the emotions of it were different, but I don’t think my process changed at all.

“After we won it, obviously it’s good emotions. You’re at the highest of highs, but at some point – which was still relatively pretty quick – you have to flush those emotions and look at the reality of what the tape is and then figure out how you can kind of improve on those things.

“I’d say that was no different after last season. Obviously different emotions, but you still have to get to a baseline where you can look at things objectively and then figure out how to try to improve from there.”

Didn’t seem complicated to most of us. Holmgren, not particularly aggressive offensively anyway, went into a shell with Wembanyama on the court. Holmgren seemed leery of even attempting a shot if the French Resistance was anywhere close.

That’s got to change. Even if Wembanyama blocks Holmgren’s first shot to Pawhuska and his second shot to Poteau, Holmgren must stay aggressive. That’s on opening night on Oct. 20 and that’s in another potential Game 7 and that’s every Thunder-Spurs showdown in between. The Thunder never ceases to remind us that champions are built by stacking habits; Holmgren has become a star by doing exactly that. And this new habit, a no-fear policy against Wembanyama, must be built throughout the season.

Gilgeous-Alexander expressed confidence that Holmgren will put the Western Conference finals behind him.

“I mean, Chet’s a really, really good basketball player,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who called Holmgren a “cornerstone” for the Thunder.

“Basketball is like life; it goes ups and downs. I mean, he works super hard. He has the right intentions. He gets the job done every night. He’s super motivated,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

“And just because he had a bad outing to some doesn’t mean those things change about him. He’s the same guy, same character.”

Thunder teammates long have marveled at Holmgren’s drive and determination. General manager Sam Presti says that won’t change.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of responding necessarily to that one series,” Presti said. “I think he’s just an intrinsically driven guy who’s going to get better. There’s a series of players on our team that are probably three or four years from really being at peak level, a majority of the team, quite frankly.

“We have three guys, two of which are not even in their prime, that are all-NBA players, and also the other guy that’s a back-to-back MVP (Gilgeous-Alexander), and he’s only getting better as well in his prime. Chet is going to get better for many, many years from here.”

That’s certainly the NBA historical trend. Holmgren is 24; he won’t turn 25 until May. Most 24-year-old NBA stars improve, usually dramatically.

That’s what the Thunder is banking on. That’s why they traded depth and likely will trade more. A trio of Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren are more difficult to accumulate than even a deep roster.

Holmgren was second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, a first-time all-star, all-NBA, anchoring the league’s best defense, all in a season after winning the championship.

“He didn’t play his best basketball in the series, but as I pointed out at that time, all the great players in NBA history, that’s what makes them great,” Presti said. “They encounter these moments, they confront them, and they battle and they learn from those and get better.

“I’m pretty confident that’s kind of the trajectory he’s going to take. But sure, there’s things he’s focused on and he’s worked on.”

Hopefully most of that work is mental, so that Holmgren won’t back down from the giant in San Antonio.