OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defended Chet Holmgren after Game 7 of their Western Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and doubled down on his take during Media Day. Before Holmgren looked back on the Thunder's season-ending loss, Gilgeous-Alexander revealed his belief in the All-Star forward's ability to improve from last season.

After Holmgren earned his first All-Star nod and All-NBA selection, Gilgeous-Alexander reminded Thunder reporters of how his teammate initially reached this elite status amidst a breakout season in 2025-26.

“Chet's a really, really, really good basketball player. Basketball is like life; there are ups and downs,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He works super hard. Has the right intentions. Gets the job done every night. Super motivated. Just because he had a bad outing. to some, doesn’t mean those things change about him. He’s the same guy. Same character. I expect Chet to get better like he’s done his whole career.

“Still super young. Still has so many games ahead of him. I’m not worried about his development, him growing, and ultimately, this team growing because of how big of a cornerstone he is for us.”

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While Chet Holmgren finished runner-up to Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama for the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned his second consecutive MVP amid the Thunder's first title defense in franchise history last season. Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters that he improved his game over the summer.

He's also excited to see Holmgren silence his naysayers in what should be an exciting 2026-27 season for the Thunder, who have some of the best odds of winning a second title in three seasons.