Victor Wembanyama drops the mic on his rivalry with Chet Holmgren

Although Chet Holmgren is an impressive young talent who was a core member of a championship team, few believe he is currently superior to Victor Vembanyama. The San Antonio Spurs the center is already an All-Star who could earn an All-NBA selection in the near future, yet apparently still feels the need to shoot at the Oklahoma City Thunder standout.

When asked in French if there was a rivalry with Holmgren, Vembanjame made some raising eyebrows and possibly unnecessary comments.

“No, I’m not thinking about it,” he said (also in French) of L’Equip’s Maxime Aubin after scoring 12 points in 23 minutes in a 130-110 win against OKC on Tuesday. “At least from a basketball point of view, there is no comparison (between us)”

Those who follow Spurs closely already know that Wembanyama has an advantage over him during interviews. He’s confident in his game and isn’t afraid to let everyone know it. The question is, though, why does the former Rookie of the Year keep hitting Holmgren?

It could be as simple as motivation. Michael Jordan used player comparisons and used doubt as fuel for him on the court. There’s always a ton of hype surrounding this seven-foot showdown, and that might bother Vembanyama. The 21-year-old could resent all the “Wemby vs Chet” talk, potentially believing he has already distanced himself from such a debate. Ultimately, the results will speak for themselves.

The Spurs beat the Thunder again

No one player took much of the spotlight Tuesday night. Victor Wembanyama is still on the minutes restriction after recently returning from a calf strain, and Chet Holmgren recorded just seven points and three rebounds in 27 minutes of action. Both will have plenty more opportunities to do their best going forward, as there’s a good chance the Thunder (26-4) and Spurs (22-7) will remain fixtures in the Western Conference for years to come.

San Antonio is not a one-man show, with a balanced lineup leading the team to its best campaign in several seasons. Case in point, sixth man Keldon Johnson led with 25 points off the bench (10-of-16 shooting). The Spurs have now beaten the 2025 NBA champions twice in the last 10 days. They will look to topple them once again when the two teams square off on Christmas Day at the Pike Centre.

Regardless of whether one of them likes it, there will be plenty of attention on the Vembanjama-Holmgren match.