All About Chet Holmgren’s Parents, David Holmgren and Sarah Harris

A passion for basketball and impressive height run in Chet Holmgren’s family, which includes his parents, David Holmgren and Sarah Harris.

Born in Minneapolis on May 1, 2002, Chet started playing basketball in elementary school after his dad noticed he was naturally talented at shooting hoops. As a former basketball player, David encouraged Chet to work on his skills on the court, earning accolades through high school in the Twin Cities and later at Gonzaga University.

Now, Chet is part of the Oklahoma City Thunder — who are in the 2025 NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 — and it’s a “surreal feeling” for the lifelong fan.

“It’s hard not to kinda think back to when I was a kid, just starting in AAU [Amateur Athletic Union], I was in late elementary school and all the kids on the team and all the kids on the other team were on the OKC bandwagon back then,” he explained at a press conference in May 2025.

Chet continued, “[2012 Thunder] were an electric team. They were fun to watch. They had players that we all kinda looked up to. To fast forward and have this opportunity is special.”

Here’s everything to know about Chet Holmgren’s parents, dad David Holmgren and mom Sarah Harris.

David played basketball for the University of Minnesota

Before becoming a dad to Chet, David grew up in Minnesota, where he quickly soared in height and sought out a basketball career. David stood at 7 feet tall by the time he was a teenager, and briefly encountered resistance to compete with his peers, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported in October 1982.

After playing the sport in high school, he joined the college basketball team at the University of Minnesota, where he played from 1984 to 1988 and starred in dozens of games. Unfortunately, David’s career on the court was cut short due to knee tendinitis, according to The Athletic.

Today, Chet stands 7 feet, 1 inch, taking after his father. “He used to play. And he knew I was going to be tall,” he told Redhawks Online in January 2021, while talking about his dad, adding, “He wasn’t expecting all this.”

David and Sarah have three kids

David and Sarah have three kids, including Chet, who is the middle child.

Like Chet, they are also athletes: His older sister was a swimmer, while his younger sister played volleyball.

When asked about his siblings during a November 2020 Pro Insight interview, he explained, “They’re both pretty tall, just like me — my whole family is pretty much.”

In addition to sports, one of his sisters also has a knack for baking.

“Everybody knows my sister bakes cookies all the time,” Chet told GQ Sports in November 2024. “She brings them to the family room at games sometimes. Anytime we go out to dinner, we don’t order dessert, she’ll make dessert.”

David first noticed Chet’s talent in the 4th grade

David started seeing his son’s basketball potential back in elementary school.

“I saw it in fourth or fifth grade,” David told ESPN in June 2022. “He started doing things with the ball that guards do — fluidly. He was still raw, but at that moment I knew he was going to be pretty good.”

Sarah recalled that David would tell her for years “that Chet was going to be very good and very special.”

During the early years, David would drive Chet and his youth basketball team to different tournaments, supporting his son’s burgeoning basketball dreams, something the father of three continues to do.

David went viral for using a camcorder to film Chet’s games

Over the years, David has made it a habit to record Chet’s games on a handheld video camcorder, even going viral for continuing the practice, well into his son’s basketball career.

“He started recording my basketball games, I think it was like sixth grade,” Chet told ESPN in June 2022. “He said I wasn’t boxing out, and I told him, ‘I am boxing out.’ He said he was going to start recording them so he could show me. I was right of course, maybe.”

David became the subject himself when TV networks began showing him filming from the stands. He has been a supportive sports dad, as Chet explained, telling ESPN, “I’m very thankful of everything he’s done and the positions he’s put me in to help me be successful and help me be the player I am today.”

David also reportedly received a videographer award from ESPN for all of his filming during Chet’s Gonzaga games, per Sports Illustrated.

Sarah was nervous before the NBA Draft

Following an athlete’s personal journey can be exhilarating and emotional, as Sarah experienced in the lead-up to the 2022 NBA Draft.

While speaking to The Minnesota Star Tribune, Sarah revealed what it was like watching Chet accomplish his dreams and going through the process of going pro alongside him.

“You tell your kids from day one to study hard, work hard, be thoughtful about their future — and then it all comes down to four pingpong balls,” she said, referring to the NBA Draft lottery.

Sarah added that her main focus was to show up for her son. “My No. 1 goal is to hold it together and not turn into a puddle of mud,” she admitted.

Chet was ultimately the second overall pick in that year’s draft.

They host Thanksgiving dinner for foster families

For the past 17 seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder has given back to the community with its Holiday Assist program. As part of the annual tradition, the Holmgrens have hosted Thanksgiving dinner for foster families in Oklahoma City since 2022.

“It means the world to make these kids happy, and see the smiles on their faces,” Chet told Sports Illustrated. “As well as, alleviate some pressure from the families and make it easier on them. All they’ve got to do is show up and have a good time. So, definitely means a lot to help out the people who support us so much.”

He added how the “team wouldn’t even be here without the community, so it’s on us to give back.”

In a video for the NBA, Sarah spoke about the importance of the new annual holiday tradition. “To be able to say, ‘Let’s all be family together,’ and for Chet to be carrying this forward with the community is just … words can’t describe it,” she shared. “It just warms my heart.”