Chet Holmgren may be laughing all the way to the bank.
The Gonzaga product, who was selected second overall by the Thunder in the 2022 NBA Draft, has landed an underwear brand partnership with Ethika, The Post has learned.
Holmgren, 20, will be working with the brand in creating exclusive products. The terms of the deal remain confidential as of Friday, however.
Holmgren, a 7-foot, 195-pound athlete, had been the subject of criticism leading up to the draft over his slender physique. Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl was among the most vocal critics, starting Wednesday on the “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” podcast that Holmgren’s body “scares” him.
“The NBA stands for No Boys Allowed,” said Pearl, who coached Jabari Smith Jr. the player that went one pick after Holmgren in the draft. “And that body scares me. It just does.
“He goes knee-to-knee with the wrong guy, and he could get broken in half. Therefore at the very top of the draft, I think I got to go with what I know not what could potentially could maybe someday be.”
Despite the outside noise, Ethika exec Darius Burton is excited about teaming up with the Oklahoma City rookie.
“I’ve known Chet for a little over a year now, we met in person at a basketball camp out in Memphis after texting back and forth for a while. Chet’s personality and charisma matches his seven-foot frame. I thought to myself it’s only fitting for the leading lifestyle underwear brand to partner with one of the best rookies walking into the NBA,” Burton said in a statement.
“When he was at Gonzaga we would go back and forth about getting him an NIL deal with ethika and I would always tell him lil bro be patient your time is coming and when it’s your time we are gonna make a big splash together. I know the sky is the limit for this young man and what we will be able to build in the lifestyle underwear category. I’m super excited to have Chet on board as an Ethika Brand ambassador.”
Holmgren made a recent appearance on Uninterrupted’s LeBron James-backed show, “The Shop,” for a mini pre-draft episode, alongside Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns and former NBA champion Gary Payton. During the episode, Payton said he wants to see Holmgren “bulk up” over time while in the NBA — something the rookie said he’s already working at.
“That’s the thing that I probably hear the most, is, ‘you gotta bulk up, you gotta life weights,'” Holmgren said. “You know, it’s already in the works.”
