Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren is Fourth Zag to Win NBA Championship
Adam Morrison (2009 and 2010 with the Los Angeles Lakers)
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Ronny Turiaf (2012 with the Miami Heat)
Austin Daye (2014 with the San Antonio Spurs)
Chet Holmgren (2025 with the Oklahoma City Thunder)
Along with Holmgren, his two teammates and West Coast Conference alums will hold bragging rights over the rest of their NBA colleagues. That's Santa Clara Broncos' Jalen Williams and Saint Mary Gaels' Alex Ducas.
While Oklahoma City was led overall by the NBA's Most Valuable Player and NBA Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't have done it without the defensive anchor.
'He affects the game at a high level every night. Tonight was no different. He was everywhere, blocking shots, rotating, switching on guards. He's amazing and so much more room to grow.' - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Chet Holmgren via ABC
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Holmgren broke barriers on the way to the title with the Thunder, becoming the third Gonzaga player to have a 20-point game in the NBA Finals, joining Utah Jazz's John Stockton and Miami Heat's Kelly Olynyk. Along with that, he's the second Zag to record a double-double in the NBA Finals (Stockton did it three times in 1997, and Holmgren has done it twice).
Most importantly, Holmgren now owns the NBA Finals record in a Game 7 for blocks with 5. He finished with the second-most blocks at 43 through the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
'I've been through so much personally this year, not only in a hit, but other things playing too. I'm proud of these guys for holding it down while I was out. I'm proud of myself for never quitting. Broken bones, bruises. It's all temporary. But this is forever.' - Chet Holmgren via ABC
Throughout those seven games, the lanky seven-footer averaged 12.3 points per game on a 39.5 field goal percentage to go along with 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Holmgren struggled shooting from deep (15.8 three-point percentage), but made up for it with his ability to protect the rim and guard 1 through 5.
This was an exciting series to watch, despite what the television ratings might reflect about the two small-market teams going head-to-head. Part of that was due to Indiana Pacers' Andrew Nembhard and his relentless effort on the defensive end when guarding the NBA MVP.
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His energy was infectious throughout this run for the Pacers, locking up the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell and the New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson on his way to claiming the Eastern Conference title. Nembhard left it all on the floor and stepped up as the lead guard when Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton went down in Game 7 in the first quarter with an Achilles injury.
During this run, Nembhard collected 35 steals, which is the fourth-most in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. He averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game throughout the NBA Finals.
This won't be the last time the two Zags make it to this stage. Holmgren is just 23 years old, and Nembhard is 25. The future shines bright as they continue their already successful careers in the league. If healthy, Holmgren is an NBA All-Star, and Nembhard is an All-NBA defender. Both are well on the path to receiving a massive payday as well.
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Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area... Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho
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