Victor Wembanyama vs. Chet Holmgren could be NBA’s next intense rivalry

APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES After his first NBA preseason game in October, after missing the entire 2022-23 campaign with a foot injury, Chet Holmgren bounded out of the Oklahoma City Thunder locker room and met Victor Wembanyama’s family.

When Wembanyama saw Holmgren in the hallway, he smiled and turned to introduce Holmgren to his mother, Elodie, who was making her first visit to Oklahoma to watch the game. And what a spectacle she and the rest of the fans at the Paycom Center had witnessed that evening.

It was more than an appetizer for the two fascinating rookies. Wembanyama, too energetic to survive a scheduled afternoon nap, had been brilliant for the San Antonio Spurs in his first NBA preseason game, recording 20 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block. Holmgren was just as impressive (21 points, nine rebounds and a block), as the two men had several moments of controlled but unmistakable one-upmanship.

Holmgren and Wembanyama have been circling each other for years. Wembanyama is 7 feet 4 inches tall; Holmgren is no slouch himself at 7-1. Both have a slender build and display guard skills and athleticism rare for their size. They had been on scouts’ radars and, therefore, on each other’s radars since they were in their mid-teens.

“I don’t literally look up to a lot of people,” Holmgren said. “But it is.”

They watched each other’s highlights, monitored their various rankings, and tracked their progress across the ocean. They share something other than a rare blend of size and skill: a fierce competitive spirit that is as much a part of their personality as their size.

To know these two young stars on any level is to understand that the stage is set for what could be an intense rivalry between them in the years to come. Although they have been careful to remain respectful to each other in the media, observing their actions the few times they have shared the floor hints at an intensity to come when they face off.

Their first NBA game that matters is Tuesday in Oklahoma City — and with added stakes, an in-season tournament game that the Thunder must win to maintain their hopes of making it out of group play.

Wembanyama, 19, has made it known that he has long had a goal of becoming the best player in the NBA, and Holmgren, 21, is directly on his path, as they are expected to compete at every level, starting with rookie of the year. Price.

Holmgren’s coaches and teammates, past and present, describe a relentless drive to win. He might see Wembanyama as just another opponent to try to conquer in that regard, but Holmgren can’t deny that both will be judged harshly in how they behave head-to-head, like many other rivals across NBA history. .

“We have no choice but to go back and forth,” Holmgren said.

AS HOLMGREN MET Ms. Wembanyama, he recalled collegially the last time they had indeed all been together in the same place. It was in Riga, Latvia, in July 2021, during the FIBA ​​U19 Basketball World Cup final. The American team beat the French team 83-81 in a closely contested game in which Wembanyama committed a frustrating foul in the fourth quarter.

It’s just the worst basketball memory of Wembanyama’s life — “Just thinking about it makes my jaw tighten,” he said — and one of Holmgren’s great accomplishments. Although he didn’t play exceptionally up to his standards in the championship game – Holmgren had 10 points and five assists – the American player was named tournament MVP and returned for his first year at Gonzaga with a medal Golden. Wembanyama scored 22 points with eight rebounds and eight blocks before having to watch the final minutes from the bench.

The idea that this game could have been the start of years of the two ultra-talented giants playing for high stakes in contests dripping with intensity is an exciting prospect for the entire NBA machine. For those who were there, it was unforgettable.

“I remember that,” Elodie Wembanyama told Holmgren with a smile.

As for seeing each other, even in such basic social settings as this, it rarely happened. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of international events that could have brought them together via shoe companies or governing bodies were canceled. A year apart in draft classes, they weren’t part of these festivities either. So you’re left with two possible future NBA cornerstones that are rarely seen.

“No,” Wembanyama responded emotionlessly when asked if they were in a relationship.

Maybe we’ll start now. Their collision course as they compete for two teams on the rise in the Western Conference seems inevitable. They will each begin seeing each other at least four times per season, and they are set to eventually face each other in playoffs and rematches in international competitions.

Team USA will likely consider Holmgren in the near future with the senior team, as he played as a junior member. Wembanyama is expected to headline American rival France in the coming years, after telling French journalists that he wants “France to be the greatest basketball nation in the world and for a long time .I want people to see us that way,” [to] overtake the United States.

In the short term, the Spurs, who are struggling defensively despite Wembanyama already having an impact with an average of 2.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, are catching up to the Thunder, who are a few years ahead in their reconstruction. But the two teams, both armed with young talent and extra draft picks, promise playoff showdowns.

“The games against OKC are going to be interesting,” Wembanyama said. “For sure.”

AFTER SAYING GOODBYE At Wembanyama, Holmgren was walking toward the parking lot to go home. No strong emotions. Maybe just a hint of needling. And then there was the tweet.

Minutes after leaving, Holmgren posted a message on X after seeing “SportsCenter” celebrate a highlight of the game. Following an aggressive strike against Holmgren, Wembanyama drew and -1 and faltered.

The headbutt is an unstoppable fasho move😂😂🤝 https://t.co/Oaz7Mz8f57

– Chet Holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) October 10, 2023

“The header is an unstoppable move,” Holmgren wrote, insinuating that Wembanyama could have gotten away with an offensive foul.

Gregg Popovich shared his thoughts after watching the first NBA meeting.

“They played each other a few times and it was interesting,” the Spurs coach said. “It shows their character, their competitiveness, and they did it within reason. Neither one shot a horrible shot to try to outplay the other. It was basic basketball that the basketball gods played with. basketball would agree. It will be a lot of fun. for everyone to look after their careers.”

Wembanyama plays more forward than center, where Holmgren spent most of the time for the Thunder. There could be limited face-to-face moments, like the one that delivered that contested highlight between them in the preseason. But the connection is undeniable, and perhaps the time to start making memories has come.

“I plan on playing for a long time, and I’m sure he does too,” Holmgren said. “So I am also excited about the future.”