In Game 4 of the NBA Finals, a tense moment unfolded as Chet Holmgren hit the floor, grimacing and clutching his ankle. But right then, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knelt beside him, urging, “You OK? C’mon man. We need you. Get up.” Whatever SGA said worked—Holmgren shook it off and clocked in 37 minutes despite the scare. Fast forward to the eve of Game 6, and fans worried about the young big man’s status finally got reassurance.

Speaking to the media, Holmgren delivered an unexpected update: “People were saying [Shai] healed me with his aura,” he joked, while also tipping his hat to the Western Conference Finals MVP for more than just leadership—maybe even a little magic.

While ‘healed’ is certainly a sign that Holmgren made a quick recovery in the last few days, that isn’t the part people would choose to focus on. It is the “[Shai] healed me with his aura” part.

Holmgren had not sustained a serious ankle injury. He was able to state “It’s fine” in the days leading up to Game 5 of the NBA Finals. However, the initial shock of sustaining the ailment would have affected anyone. Fortunately, Shai was there to ask his teammate to toughen up. The OKC star did the same by not only playing his most minutes over the last 12 games, but also scoring 14 points and 15 rebounds through 4-9 (44.4%) field goals, 0-1 (0.0%) 3-pointers, and 6-6 (100.0%) free throws. The same might not have been possible if Shai hadn’t given Holmgren some encouraging words.

Along with the advice during Game 4, the point guard would have also helped his teammate behind the scenes. While we might not know the full extent of that help, Chet Holmgren’s praise shows that Shai had his back. When a player says something like this about his teammate, he is either bound to receive some appreciation for showing love to his teammate or be made fun of for his choice of words. Judging from the comments left on the Legion Hoops, the majority have opted for the latter.

NBA fans roast Chet Holmgren over his injury confession: “So cringe”

One social media user did not play around with words, and directly wrote “So cringe”. Yikes!

Believe it or not, but this isn’t the first time the duo has been accused of being part of an action that made them feel the same level of “cringe”. Back in May 2024, the Oklahoma City Thunder duo worked together to create an AT&T ad, which highlighted them singing “What a Pro Wants”. As USA TODAY Sports reporter Charles Curtis highlighted, “they’re a little pitchy, dawg”. While the reporter admitted that the commercial was funny when he first heard it, it became “annoying as heck” later on. The people on X, as anticipated, weren’t any kinder.

One individual wrote, “Dudes corny as hell”. We can’t deny that the 23-year-old certainly has some unusual ways through which he expresses things. Back in November 2023, it was reported that Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant had made more than half of his shots from beyond the arc. Holmgren, who caught the stat on X, praised Durant by writing “54 from treball is odee shooting hang pulls”. You would need a different kind of dictionary to understand that message. Soon, the remarks were turned into a meme by netizens.

One social media user wrote, “somehow not a parody account tweet 😭 Chet is a certified cornball”. To be fair, there are worse things to be called than a ‘cornball’. Sure, Holmgren might be ‘corny’, but he means well. His message towards Shai was a praise that the 2025 WCF MVP would certainly appreciate.

One individual wrote, “we really can’t allow this cringe a– team to win it all”. Well, fortunately, the Pacers squad seems to have listened to this message. Or, they were prepared beforehand to send a message to the OKC squad. As 8:06 minutes remained in the 3rd quarter, the Indiana Pacers were leading 66-42! In his 21 minutes on the court till then, Chet Holmgren had only recorded 4 points.

Along with that, he also added 7 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams were the only players who had scored in the double-digits, and none of them had even crossed the 20-point threshold. Given this, it is almost certain that the NBA Finals will go to Game 7, the first time it will happen since the 2016 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.

One social media user attacked a whole generation by writing, “Gen Z really about to be champions😂😂🤦🏾‍♂️”. Well, not if the Indiana Pacers have anything to say about it. Then again, their lead scorer, Tyrese Haliburton, is also only 25 years old. Therefore, no matter what, the recent NBA Finals will be known as a battle between the youngsters.

Overall, the majority of reactions saw people being unimpressed with Chet Holmgren’s remarks. Who knows, maybe the power forward will double down and, just like Travis Kelce did after winning the Super Bowl in 2024, say something cringy after winning the championship title. If that happens, it will surely be ‘corny’, but still a worthwhile moment.