Sunday, it was announced that Chet Holmgren would be joining teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in representing the OKC Thunder during the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.
Needless to say, not everyone was thrilled about his selection as a reserve.
Immediately after the All-Star voting results were revealed, rival fans and pundits were rather vocal about their belief that players such as Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers and Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets had stronger individual cases for a nod than the Thunder stud.
Though they, and perhaps a few others snubbed talents out in the Western Conference, may have sexier, on-paper metrics than Chet, following Sunday's 121-111 win over the Denver Nuggets, coach Mark Daigneault voiced what he believes to be the ultimate reason for his big man's selection to the illustrious exhibition.
"It’s a team accomplishment, team success in our case. Our success on the defensive side, I think, highlights a player like him. So it’s a point of pride for all of us when we have multiple guys going to the All-Star Game," Holmgren said.
Chet Holmgren gets edge in All-Star voting as result of Thunder success
Generally speaking, when it comes to the annual All-Star Game, the top teams in the league tend to find multiple players selected to participate.
The Thunder experienced this trend firsthand just a season ago when they saw both Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams chosen to represent the Sooner State out in San Francisco.
Once again residing atop the league's standings with a record of 39-11, it shouldn't come as all that great a surprise, nor should it be controversial, that Oklahoma City is being rewarded with this kind of luxury yet again.
Of course, even without their NBA-best record, Chet would still have been a strong contender to receive a ticket to the star-studded affair.
After all, the seven-footer is putting forth some of the best numbers of his career with averages of 17.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks on 55.6 percent shooting from the floor and 36.6 percent shooting from deep while arguably laying out the association's clearest case to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.
But considering the Thunder's rank, as well as their status of being the odds-on favorite to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the second consecutive year, seeing his ticket being punched seems like a no-brainer move by the league.
With his selection now official, Holmgren becomes just the seventh player in Oklahoma City's 18 years of existence to become an NBA All-Star.
While there are plenty of naysayers, based on his production and direct impact on the Thunder's top-flight successes, it's undeniable that Holmgren's nod is well deserved.