Maybe one of the vital manufactured rivalries of final season was the one between Rookie of the Yr Victor Wembanyama and runner-up Chet Holmgren. Each are lengthy, lanky, versatile gamers on each ends of the ground who determine to dominate the big-man panorama for years to return. Every Spurs-Thunder matchup was extremely anticipated and introduced loads of viewers who needed to see the 2 younger unicorns, however as intense as these battles have been, it appeared followers and the media needed to assist add to the budding on-court rivalry by claiming there was a “beef” between the 2 gamers.
Now, Holmgren is setting the file straight. Talking on Paul George’s podcast, he was requested the place the power and depth got here from when the 2 of them confronted off in opposition to one another. Whereas Holmgren famous that the 2 had confronted one another on the worldwide stage earlier than they have been within the NBA and they’re each rivals, surely, he barely is aware of Wemby in particular person, and he sees a “beef” as being between individuals who have precise points with one another and are on the lookout for a struggle. That isn’t the case between Holmgren and Wemby (no less than not but).
He additionally mentioned different matters, such because the Rookie of the Yr race whereas capturing down haters who say he wasn’t a rookie (he missed the whole 2022-23 season with a leg damage), noting that in case you’re enjoying in your first NBA sport, you’re a rookie. Even so, he nonetheless felt Wemby was deserving (so once more, no beef). He additionally mentioned the primary factor he discovered from enjoying in opposition to Wemby was merely to keep in mind that dealing with somebody who’s 7’5” is totally different than 6’9”, so you must make these changes.
You possibly can watch the whole interview beneath. His section discussing Wemby begins on the 29:00 mark, with the meat half particularly starting on the 32:06 mark.
Even when there isn’t any “beef” between Holmgren and Wembanyama, that doesn’t imply it received’t be an intense rivalry going ahead, and never simply between these two. Whereas the Spurs are nonetheless a yr or two behind the Thunder of their rebuild, each determine to be battling one another for championships sooner or later, rekindling a comparatively temporary however intense rivalry from the 2010’s, when the Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook Thunder battled the The Massive Three plus Kawhi Leonard 3 times, together with in 2014 when the Spurs received a nailbiter sport 6 to advance to the Finals and win the their newest championship.
With the Thunder’s core of Holmgren, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams presumably set, a Spurs core centered round Wemby, Devin Vassell and one other piece but to be both named or found hope to affix them on the high of the Western Convention standings quickly. When that point comes, the Spurs-Thunder rivalry might be again on.
