27 October 2023 , 15:36
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Chet Holmgren had a brutal welcome to the NBA moment on his league debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder after an unlikely player crossed him up and had him falling to the floor.
The 7ft 1in OKC star had been a player with extreme hype surrounding him heading into his rookie year - having similar abilities to Victor Wembanyama while being able to shoot from being over seven-feet tall.
But Holmgren missed his entire rookie season after suffering a Lisfranc injury in his foot, and finally made his debut for OKC. But Chicago Bulls big-man Andre Drummond left him embarrassed over one particular play.
After a turnover, the Bulls had been on the break with the big man leading the charge before going right at Holmgren. Drummond, not known for his abilities as a ball handler - with it being an extreme weakness to his game over his 11 years in the league - was able to cross up Holmgren and had him falling to the ground before dunking it on him.
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It's a move that is regularly seen by point guards, which former Milwaukee Bucks ' Oscar Robertson had made a go-to in the league, before Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson had perfected it.
When the defensive player is beaten on the play and falls to the ground, it is often referred to as the offensive player embarrassing the defensive man and 'breaking their ankles'.
And as soon Drummond hit Holmgren with the move, thousands took to social media to mention the OKC star having his ankles broken on his debut.
Andre Drummond crossing Holmgren upOne fan wrote: "How is Holmgren getting his ankles broke by Andre Drummond?!," while another said: "Holmgren got Drummond looking like prime AI".
Holmgren did impress on his debut though, scoring 11 points with four rebounds and three assists to get the win on the road in Chicago, looking solid offensively with him drawing comparisons to Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porzingis.
While Drummond might have explored a flaw in his game defensively, Holmgren is likely to be relied upon more offensively, with the team looking to use him as a situational shot-blocker rather than in one-on-one isolations.
Speaking after his first game back, Holmgren was asked how thankful he has to finally make his debut. He said: "100%, every day I'm able to wake up and play basketball for a living is a great day in my book. I'm definitely grateful, but also understanding there's a lot of work to be done."