OKC's Giddey, Holmgren Attend Nike World Basketball Festival in NYC

Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren made the trip to New York City over the weekend to attend Nike's World Basketball Festival.

Oklahoma City guard Josh Giddey and rookie forward Chet Holmgren ventured to New York City over the weekend, making an appearance at the Nike World Basketball Festival from Sep. 15-16.

Global game 🌏

Josh and Chet spent the weekend in New York at the @nikebasketball World Basketball Festival pic.twitter.com/6mgukPcx1f

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) September 19, 2023

A few notable attendees alongside Giddey and Holmgren included former NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, as well as rappers Lil Yachty and Travis Scott.

The Thunder duo also sat beside a couple WNBA superstars in retired Sue Bird and current New York Liberty Sabrina Ionescu, gearing up to watch 80 of the best high school basketball players in the country at Lincoln Center — 40 girls and 40 boys across 23 different states.

“Fun weekend. You know, the Nike athletes getting together in New York to celebrate those high school kids that are out there playing… Fun time in New York and look forward to the next big Nike event,” Giddey said.

This festival also wasn’t solely based around basketball play either, it celebrated years of cultural influence in the sport throughout the roots of New York City, integrating artistic pieces along with the exhibition games. Artist John Margaritis, owner of art collective New York Sunshine, created one of the festival’s primary art projects, named the “Basketball Globe.”

In addition to the celebratory entertainment for basketball and art fans alike, Nike partnered with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, providing a $2 million grant to aid in maintaining year-round access to the arts for local youth across the city’s five boroughs.

“Yeah, it was great. We got to watch some basketball, some really good young players play. We got to be around some legends of the game, so it’s always a good experience and a great opportunity,” Holmgren added.

Holmgren and Giddey’s bond seems to be infectious. Two young, aspirational players looking to help a small-market franchise bounce back and stake their claim as a recurring Western Conference contender. While the tandem’s chemistry on the court has already been apparent, their off-court chemistry seems to be crystal clear, too.

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