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Thunder's Chet Holmgren Gave NBA Fans Wave of Nostalgia by Recreating Iconic Meme

The Thunder big man took NBA fans way back with this social media post.

Tim Capurso

Thunder's Chet Holmgren Gave NBA Fans Wave of Nostalgia by Recreating Iconic Meme
Thunder's Chet Holmgren Gave NBA Fans Wave of Nostalgia by Recreating Iconic Meme /
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With just one caption on a picture posted to his Instagram account on Saturday, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren took NBA fans on a trip down memory lane. Oklahoma City defeated the Warriors 138—136 in overtime on Friday night, an emotional win for the young squad currently sporting a 14—7 record. 

One picture from the contest of Holmgren, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams showed just how emotional the win was, as the group of Thunder players celebrated in pure elation. But the picture also presented a huge opportunity for Holmgren, one that he seized, captioning the picture "Mom Made Pizza Rolls." 

The caption was a nod to an iconic meme involving former Thunder players Kevin Durant and James Harden, something that was not lost on NBA fans, who reacted to the wave of nostalgia that Holmgren provided. 

This isn't the only way Holmgren, a rising star, and the Thunder are providing fans with nostalgia, though. Oklahoma City, which entered the season with the second-youngest average age on their roster in the NBA, is anchored by a youthful core and possesses a bevy of draft picks, suggesting there is more young talent on the way. 

Much like Durant's and Harden's Thunder, there is plenty of optimism around this Oklahoma City team, which has surprised fans on the court to start the season, posting the second-best record in the Western Conference. It remains to be seen if this core can reach the NBA Finals, as that Thunder team managed to do. 

But Holmgren and company are giving fans reason to believe they can—and not just because of nostalgic memes. 

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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