Chet Holmgren Scott’s journey to the NBA has been well-documented and hyped outside. Ever since he was in high school, he was a heralded prospect who was under a magnifying glass. So far in his career, he has lived up to all expectations.
The same can be said of the Spurs’ rising superstar. Victor WembanyamaThe 7-foot-4 specimen was the most heralded prospect since LeBron James and has the highest expectations of any recruit in the last 20 years.
After Holmgren’s foot injury caused him to miss his rookie season, the stars aligned for the two players to technically share the same rookie season. Of course, this opened a new chapter in the Holmgren-Wembanyama rivalry. Technically, the battles began on the international level, as the two players competed for Team USA and Team France. During the pre-draft process, the two players were compared to each other due to their similar playing styles. And last season, we finally got to see them on the court in action in the NBA.
In each matchup, Holmgren and Wembanyama went toe-to-toe, playing like they had something to prove. It was a must-see TV game and an example that the league is in good hands going forward.
It may have been a budding rivalry in the basketball world, but for both players, it was simply fierce competition.
“I would just say we are competitors,” Holmgren explained on Paul George podcast. “We played against each other before we were even in the NBA. People are like, ‘You guys have fights?’ I’m like, ‘What are you having?’ We compete, but when I see you, it means we’re fighting, you know what I mean? Why am I fighting with him? Honestly, I don’t even know this guy. We just play basketball against each other.”
“As competitors, neither of us want to lose and neither of us want to let the other one get a bucket or anything. We’re always going to compete and if people think it’s a fight, they don’t really understand what competition is, I guess.”
Chet discusses his rivalry with Wemby, saying there is no conflict between them:
pic.twitter.com/gAVUoaqOAV– Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) August 19, 2024
It’s no surprise that Holmgren doesn’t view his battles with Wemby as a personal rivalry. The two have never had any issues on the court, and both players seem like no-nonsense guys. The NBA is certainly trying to bolster the rivalry by giving prime-time slots to Oklahoma City and San Antonio — and going so far as to schedule the Thunder and Spurs for a rivalry week a season ago.
The battles will continue to be entertaining, especially as the Spurs improve, but there’s nothing personal off the court. For now, it’s just the next generation of NBA stars going head-to-head.
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