What is Chet Holmgren's ethnicity? All you need to know about Thunder star

After missing all of last season due to a right foot injury, OKC Thunder big man Chet Holmgren is now thriving in NBA Summer League.

The big man has been a defensive menace, swatting shots left and right, while also slowly getting more comfortable on the offensive end. Holmgren’s strong play has turned a lot of heads and has some fans looking to find out more about the 2022 No. 2 pick. That includes things like the big man’s ethnicity.

While Holmgren’s name has led some to believe that he's from a foreign country, he's, in fact, an American of white ethnicity. Holmgren was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 1, 2002.

He attended Minnehaha Academy, in Minneapolis. There, he won four state championships. As a high school senior in 2021, Holmgren was named Mr. Basketball USA, Gatorade National Player of the Year and Minnesota Mr. Basketball.

That led Holmgren to become a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 1 ranked player in the 2021 class coming out of high school.

He then committed to Gonzaga where he thrived in his lone season with the Bulldogs (2021-22). There, the big man was named the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

Following his freshman season at Gonzaga, Holmgren entered the 2022 NBA draft, where he was selected No. 2 by the OKC Thunder. However, Holmgren has yet to play his first game for the Thunder due to injury. So, he will still be considered a rookie during the 2023-24 NBA season.

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Chet Holmgren on what he brings to OKC Thunder

OKC Thunder big man Chet Holmgren

During a recent interview, Chet Holmgren spoke about what the OKC Thunder can expect from him following his return from injury. The big man said that he's willing to do whatever is asked of him. He then touched on his versatility at both ends of the court:

“I pride myself on being able to do — or work to be able to do — whatever coach asks me,” Holmgren said. “That's what I plan to do. We have a great group of guys with a lot of different talents, and I feel like I can compliment a lot of these dudes and they can compliment me as well.

"Whether it's spacing the floor vertically as a lob threat or spacing the court from the three, blocking shots on defense, being a rim protector and adding some length.”

Holmgren added that he has been working on his game and body relentlessly over the last year and feels great entering his rookie season:

“I’ve spent a lot of time in the facility working on not only my game, but my body as well,” Holmgren said. “In terms of my eating habits and everything, just trying to do every little thing that adds up over these days. I feel great. My body feels great. I definitely feel stronger. Even though I wasn't able to play, I definitely feel like I learned a lot.”

Chet Holmgren averaged 12.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.5 blocks per game on 40.9% shooting over two Utah Summer League games.

The big man is also averaging 20.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.0 spg and 3.5 bpg on 56.0% shooting through two Las Vegas Summer League games.