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No. 2 NBA Draft Pick Chet Holmgren Doesn't Want to Be 'Taken Too Seriously': 'I'm Unique'

Chet Holmgren
Chet Holmgren

Jennifer Pottheiser/Neiman Marcus Chet Holmgren 2022 NBA Draft

Chet Holmgren is getting ready to make his NBA debut this season, and luckily for the seven-foot-tall Oklahoma City rookie, he's hard to miss.

"I'd definitely say I'm huge on first impressions," Holmgren tells PEOPLE during a break from shopping on the fourth floor at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills.

He's at the luxury designer store with an important goal — to find the perfect outfit to don when he makes his first impression on the NBA at the 2022 draft. (Holmgren was the No. 2 pick selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Thursday night's draft ceremony.)

Chet Holmgren
Chet Holmgren

Neiman Marcus Chet Holmgren at Neiman Marcus

"I want to emphasize that I'm unique," Holmgren tells PEOPLE while he takes a break from trying on ready-to-wear suits from Dior and Prada.

"I don't want to go do something that's already been done. I want to step outside of the box," he says.

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Holmgren went with a classic black suit for the big night, complimented by loafers and a chain representing his no. 34.

Normally, he's "not a big shopper" and keeps it low-key when getting ready for a night out. But for draft night? "That's going to take a while for sure," he confesses.

Chet Holmgren
Chet Holmgren

Jennifer Pottheiser/Neiman Marcus

As a kid, Holmgren thinks he was "like everybody else." Now, he's far from it. "I'd definitely say I've matured over the years," he says.

"I've learned what hard work is," the rookie tells PEOPLE. "But at the end of the day, I don't want to be too mature and lose my sense of humor with things," he says.

Holmgren is accustomed to handling the harsh criticism that comes with being in the league at this point, maybe even especially equipped to handle the pressure.

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Naysayers have doubted Holmgren's longevity in the league because of his slender frame, but the 20-year-old athlete has only responded to the criticism with confidence.

In May, his interview with Bleacher Report went viral after Holmgren called himself the best player in the NBA, "in two months." He was joking — sort of, but if there's one thing Holmgren wants people to know before he makes his NBA debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, it's "that I should never be taken too seriously," he says.