Chet Holmgren hypes Lu Dort with iconic 'Kobe' shout for shimmy-shake bucket vs Mavs

The OKC Thunder are still without one of their best players. However, as tough as it's been without Chet Holmgren, he's made sure to stay close to the team during his recovery.

He attended their Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup vs. the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. While he wasn't able to play, just having him there was a big morale boost to his team.

Holmgren didn't stop hyping up his teammates before and during the game. Following the 118-104 win, he took to X to praise Lu Dort over a tough bucket.

"Kobe," Holmgren tweeted with four shouting face emojis.

Chet Holmgren attends first OKC game since injury

Holmgren has been out since Nov. 10 when he contested a layup by Andrew Wiggins and landed awkwardly. He was diagnosed with a right iliac wing fracture and his initial timeline was 8-10 weeks.

"It's always good having him around," Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said during a postgame interview, via The Oklahoman. "Obviously, the circumstances aren't perfect. But whenever we get blessed with his presence, it's a plus."

Gilgeous-Alexander also shed light on Holmgren's words of encouragement to his team before the game.

"Win the game, get some more money (and) protect home court," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "He said it in a different way, a little bit more explicit. But that's what his message was. That's probably why we won."

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault also raved about Holmgren attending the game. He still has some physical hurdles to clear before getting back on the court but he's getting there, one day at a time.

"I'm happy for him that he can do that," Daigneault said. "Part of me feels for him because he probably wanted to play with the crutches, which wouldn't have been good for the team or for his injury. We've had him around more often. He's in good spirits.

"I think mentally, he has cleared some hurdles (to) where he's starting to make some progress. He understands the value of taking it step by step. He's doing a great job with that. He'll continue to make progress, and he'll be back at some point."

Despite his absence, the Thunder have been able to hold down the fort. They are 19-5 and first in the Western Conference. He is focused on getting back to full strength and being ready for his team when it matters the most.