Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren would rather be more concerned about the games in hand against the San Antonio Spurs than go back in time to renew his rivalry with Victor Wembanyama.

After the reigning champions took a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals, NBA analyst Tracy McGrady asked Holmgren about his rivalry with Wembanyama. Holmgren deflected, instead choosing to focus on the battle between their two powerhouse teams.

“The way I see it, when you’re in it, you have to look at it as Thunder vs. Spurs,” Holmgren replied. “We’re trying to win these games. They’re trying to win these games. That’s how you have to attack it.”

This question comes after an incident late in the first quarter, where the Frenchman bumped into Holmgren on their way to their respective benches, adding another moment to the young stars' ever-growing rivalry.

Wembanyama and Holmgren's rivalry dates back to 2021, when the Frenchman dominated the FIBA U19 World Cup, but Holmgren received MVP honors after Team USA won the tournament.

Wemby has reportedly never forgotten this incident and is using that as fuel for the postseason to remove any and all comparisons between the two players.

And till now, despite Holmgren winning a chip before Wemby, the 22-year-old has shown this season who the better player actually is between the two.

Victor Wembanyama Dominates the Numbers Game Over Chet Holmgren

In the regular season, Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over 29.2 minutes. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award.

In contrast, Holmgren is not the Thunder's primary scoring option, as two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is usually the one having the ball in offense.

Still, Holmgren averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. While solid numbers, they still fall flat to Wemby's, who solidified the difference between the two even more in the postseason, especially during the ongoing WCF.

Through the five games of WCF, Holmgren is averaging 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.8 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game, while shooting 51.2% from the floor.

But Wemby has once again posted video-game numbers this series, averaging an astonishing 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game against the reigning champions.

However, the Spurs are still unable to take advantage of Wemby's offensive prowess, trailing 3-2 in the series.

With their backs against the wall, do you think Wembanyama and the Spurs turn it around in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals to keep their season alive? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy