In a nightmare year, the Oklahoma City Thunder learned additional grim news right before Halloween. Chet Holmgren sustained a small torn patellar tendon. He will miss 8-to-10 weeks with the injury as he went through a biological treatment.
Brutal. Just brutal. I feel like I've typed out that word — and other similar ones — over the last week. The Thunder have lost three of their four best players for the foreseeable future. Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace are out for most — if not all — of the 2026-27 season.
Williams sustained a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle. He had surgery to repair both. And Wallace sustained a torn labrum on his shoulder. He also had surgery. All three OKC starters suffered their season-altering injuries in their Oct.
25 win over the LA Clippers.
Here's what the Thunder said about Holmgren's injury:
Mark Daigneault
"The environment's been great. That's been one of the strengths of this team in just about every situation for a long time. Very consistent, stable, grounded through success and through adversity. We understand the challenge in front of us. Obviously, our circumstances have changed significantly in a week, so it kinda reframes the challenge. But sympathy doesn't help you compete. Excuses don’t help you compete. We have a competitive team, so we're excited to go out there and compete and take on the challenge head-on."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
"He loves the game. He works hard. Those guys give it all to the game. It rewards them back."
Kenrich Williams
"He's got a resilient attitude. He's been through this before, like you said. I feel like once you have the hard work, combined with the talent and confidence that he has, he'll be back better than he was. So definitely praying for him and the team as well."
Jaylin Williams
"For me personally, I just feel bad for everybody. I understand what it takes in the summer, what it takes throughout the whole year to get ready for the season. The hours, the extra time that you put in, the dedication away from your family, away from your friends, eating well the whole summer and things like that. See those guys putting in all that work throughout the summer to be healthy and be here for us and for the team and for the state of Oklahoma. Kinda just getting put to the side, I feel bad for them. I was texting Chet last night. He was like, 'I'll do whatever I can do for y'all while I'm not with the team.' So just sticking together as a team. Honestly, the biggest feeling for me is just feeling bad for those guys."
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Several OKC Thunder players react to Chet Holmgren's latest injury, absence
