"Took candy from a 7-foot baby": Shaquille O'Neal puts Chet Holmgren's 'Welcome to NBA' moment on Shaqtin'A Fool

Chet Holmgren has been enjoying a solid start to his rookie NBA season. The Oklahoma City Thunder big man is already averaging double-digits in points per game, and has been grabbing over 6.0 rebounds per night. However, against the Chicago Bulls, he had his first "Welcome to the NBA" moment.

Holmgren was trying to break Andre Drummond down off the dribble. However, he lost control of the ball on a crossover, allowing Drummond to poke the ball loose and then run the fast break for an easy bucket in transition. Holmgren slipped when trying to contest the shot.

Shaquille O'Neal put the possession on his "Shaqtin A Fool" lowlight mix, noting how Drummond's steal was "like taking candy from a 7-foot baby."

Holmgren's skillset means that he's going to have the ball in his hands a considerable amount this season. As a rookie, he's going to be prone to making some mistakes. Especially when he's tasked with trying to compete against veteran competitors who understand the nuances of defense and timing.

Nevertheless, every rookie has their bad moments. Mistakes happen. Learning from them and evolving their approach is how skill development happens. Still, Holmgren probably doesn't want to watch that clip back.

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Chet Holmgren is fighting for Rookie of the Year

Chet Holmgren is seen as a front-runner for the Rookie of the Year award at the end of the current season. His inclusion in the race for the coveted award has split some opinion, as he isn't technically a rookie. Holmgren was drafted in 2022 but sat out his first season due to injury.

Now, he will go toe-to-toe with Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson in the race to be crowned the best rookie from this year's class. Holmgren is eligible as this is his first season playing basketball in the NBA. Ben Simmons went viral when he had a similar start to life in the league.

Holmgren and Wembanyama are both highly skilled 7-footers who can dominate across all three levels of the court. The difference is that Wembanyama is a couple of inches taller and has a more complete dribble package. Nevertheless, both big men are experiencing the ups and downs of the NBA for the first time. There's going to be highlight moments. There's also going to be times they would like to forget.

The San Antonio Spurs are behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in their rebuilding process. As such, Wembanayama will have more opportunities to be the featured player within the offense. Holmgren is sharing a court with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylin Williams, so his opportunities to be featured are slimmer. That gives Wembanyama a slight edge in the Rookie of the Year race.

Nevertheless, it's going to be fun watching these two unique talents battle it out through the season.