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Chet Holmgren says he's never really spoken to Victor Wembanyama: "Not a full sentence"
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- Chet Holmgren says he's never really spoken to Victor Wembanyama: "Not a full sentence"
Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama have been constantly compared to each other.
Whether it's because they're both incredible young talents who are among the new faces of the league, or whether it's because they're both towering talents with similar skillsets that transcend their stature, or whether it's because the two have been going at each other since their days before the NBA , many fans and even experts are quick to jump at this comparison and call it a budding rivalry.
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It also helps that many people believe the phenomenal Frenchman recently took subtle shots at Holmgren for having things easy because he was playing alongside the league MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander .
Holmgren says he and Wemby have never really crossed paths
Whether or not Wemby was really taking aim at Chet remains up for discussion, but from the Thunder star's point of view, it sounds like it's a one-way street.
Speaking to ESPN's Malika Andrews, Holmgren played it a bit safe when asked whether or not he thinks he and Wembanyama are rivals in the league.
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"I don't think it's ever been up to the players or teams to declare rivalries, so you're asking the wrong person," Chet said before flashing a sly smile.
When asked if they've actually ever spoken, Holmgren said that they've never really had the chance.
"Not a full sentence, I don't think," he recalled. "But not in like a, don't take that and run with it in the wrong way, media, I don't know, we've just never really crossed paths."
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Maybe off the court, Chet and Wemby haven't had much interaction, but on the court, well, as it turns out, they haven't really had many games against each other, either.
They did cross paths in the semifinals of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup last December 13th, however, where Wembanyama and the Spurs snapped Holmgren and the Thunder's incredible 16-game winning streak and handed them their second loss of the season. Wembanyama had 22 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while Holmgren had 17 points and seven rebounds in the losing effort.
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Holmgren and Wembanyama head-to-head
Both Holmgren and Wembanyama are playing in their third years in the NBA and since they play in the same conference, the Thunder and Spurs usually play each other three to four times in a single season.
Since coming to the NBA, however, Holmgren and Wembanyama have only gone up against each other five times due to injuries and in terms of games won, Holmgren has the edge, winning three games to Wemby's two.
In terms of statistics, however, Wembanyama has the edge in most of the categories, including points, rebounds, assists and blocks. In their five-game head-to-head series, Wembanyama is averaging 17.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.2 blocks per game, while Holmgren is putting up 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
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This year, Wembanyama is having an incredible breakout season, averaging 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.5 blocks per game for the surprising Spurs, who are fourth in the Western Conference with a 19-7 record. Holmgren, meanwhile, is putting up a solid 18.7 points, eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game for the Thunder, who are first in the West with a 25-2 record.
At the end of the day, however, many fans and experts, especially the ring culture advocates, will argue that Holmgren has the edge in the supposed rivalry because he's a solid second or third option on a team that has won a championship.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
