Thunder's Chet Holmgren sidesteps Victor Wembanyama rivalry after win over Spurs
10/31/2024 10:34 AM
The Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0) are the only undefeated team in the Western Conference after their highly anticipated matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, featuring last year’s Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama. The Thunder defeated the Spurs 105-93, while Chet Holmgren’s emergence continues to reach new heights. He turned in another stellar performance. However, after the win, the hype surrounding his matchup against Wembanyama, the league’s reigning ROY, was the last thing Holmgren, the runner-up for the award, wanted to discuss.
Holmgren finished with 19 points on an efficient 7-for-10 shooting, including 3-for-3 from deep, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. Still, when a reporter asked Chet what he liked most about his nationally televised matchup against Wembanyama and the Spurs, he took a broader approach in his reply.
“I enjoy every single day, being able to wake up, come play basketball, and take care of my family doing it. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do as long as I’m able to do it. That doesn’t change game-from-game,” Holmgren said. “But no matter what, it will always be Thunder versus our opponent, and I’m here to try to win basketball games. That’s what it’s going to be every single night, no matter who we’re playing.”
Why do people make such a big deal about his rivalry with Wemanyama?
“Because the NBA is a business, and the league has been built around players playing basketball obviously. It’s about getting people to come and watch the games, and that’s one of the ways they do it by advertising the players,” Holmgren replied. “I just see it as a form of advertisement, and it doesn’t kind of change what our mission is going out there every single night. We’re trying to win the basketball games. NBA is going to handle the business around it.”
Chet Holmgren dismisses Victor Wembanyama rivalry talk
Chet Holmgren takes personal responsibility for the Thunder’s elite defense and prioritizes the team’s overall success. He doesn’t ever want his marquee matchup against Victor Wembanyama to overshadow the Thunder’s ascension or give any notion of a rivalry against the 2023 first-overall pick. However, limiting Wembanyama to six points on 1-for-5 shooting, including 0-for-3 from deep, is no easy task.
Early in the second quarter, Wembanyama appeared to have tweaked his ankle when he got tied up with Thunder rookie Ajay Mitchell and spent a few minutes in the visitor’s locker room. He eventually returned to the floor but never found offensive rhythm throughout the game.
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