As new powerhouses emerge in the Western Conference, expect the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs to return to their glory days.
That also comes with the bonus of seeing Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama square it off in high-stakes environments.
Both seven-footers have been compared to each other throughout their basketball journeys. The similarities are astonishing. They are generational defensive talent who can handle and shoot the ball. They both went top two in back-to-back draft classes and headlined last year’s rookie class.
Despite that, Holmgren doesn’t believe his rivalry with Wembanyama is personal. It stays within the court as two highly-competitive individuals fight it out.
The 22-year-old addressed this in a recent Paul George’s “Podcast P” episode.
“I would just say us being competitors,” Holmgren said. “We played against each other before we were even in the NBA. People be like ‘Y’all got beef?’
“I’m like, ‘Beef? We’re out there competing, but beef means when I see you we’re fighting, you know what I mean?’ Why do I got beef with him? I honestly don’t even know the guy. We just play basketball against each other.”
Holmgren further explained that any animosity he might have toward Wembanyama is purely about trying to get wins. Both players have done an admirable job of avoiding taking shots at one another when given the opportunity.
“As competitors, neither of us wants to lose, and neither of us wants to let the other person get a bucket or anything,” Holmgren said. “We’re always going to compete and if people take it as we got beef, those people don’t really understand competing I guess.”
This is a pretty reasonable answer at one of the league’s juiciest rivalries. It’s evident how badly it wants Chet vs. Wemby to become a storyline as all three of the Thunder’s matchup against the Spurs will be on national television next season.
