Was Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Being 'Dismissive' Toward Chet Holmgren?

SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama watched the free throw shooter enter his routine several times Saturday night. Only twice was he waiting to react.

As the ball left the shooter's hands and bounced off the rim's back iron, Wembanyama collected the rebound with ease and yelled.

"Let's go!" he exclaimed first. The second time, he let out an unintelligible scream, but the sentiment remained deducible. It also provided context to a years-old debate between him and the shooter. Perhaps Wembanyama doesn't like Chet Holmgren.

In an interview with Amazon Prime before the game, the San Antonio Spurs star was asked about his 7-foot-3 counterpart: What does he bring out of the Frenchman? How does he approach these matchups with the Oklahoma City Thunder? According to Wembanyama, differently. But not because of Holmgren.

"The MVP is on that court," he explained, referring to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. "He’s our main focus. Anybody is hard to guard when the MVP is on the court."

Speaking with ESPN, Victor Wembanyama was asked who the NBA’s best player is: “Jokić is the best offensive player … I don’t think he’s the best player. (It’s) between Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander).

“When I come back to the court, it will be me.” #PorVida
— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) December 13, 2025

Wembanyama's comment ruffled some feathers.

"I wish he would've (given) him a little credit," former Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Notiwzki said after Wembanyama's Spurs knocked the Thunder out of NBA Cup contention. "I didn't love that answer. To me it was too swaggy, too dismissive."

Dirk did not like Wemby answer on Chet

"I wish he would've gave him a little credit. I didn't love that answer. To me it was too swaggy, too dismissive" pic.twitter.com/kC0pOxIRSg
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) December 14, 2025

Holmgren played a sizable role during the Thunder's championship run after returning from a hip fracture that cost him two months of games in December and January. Wembanyama hasn't experienced playoff basketball since being drafted in 2023, but Holmgren was honest about his rival's impact on the court.

"He does things that other lineups don't replicate," Holmgren said. "It definitely changes the game. It changes how they play, it changes how we have to play them."

Comparing the two players is almost a given. After Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc fracture before his rookie season, he joined Wembanyama's class in the Rookie of the Year race. Both players eclipsed 7 feet, both were skilled centers and both carried expectations.

Wembanyama seemed to move on from the debate after pulling away in the rookie race, despite a losing head-to-head record against the former Gonzaga star.

This season, Wembanyama is averaging 25.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a league-leading 3.5 blocks in 13 appearances. Statistics favor him over Holmgren, though the Thunder's dominance lends itself to a lighter load for Holmgren.

Oklahoma City also has the hardware that Wembanyama and this San Antonio team is still chasing. And after the Spurs handed Oklahoma City its second loss of the season in the NBA Cup semifinal, Wembanyama offered a more humble reflection on the current rivalry between the two teams.

“I think we’re not quite there yet," Wembamyama said Monday. "They’re in their own tier, but in the future, if we reach that level, it would be great to have a rivalry.”

Dec 15, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) at press conference prior to the Emirates NBA Cup championship at the T-Mobile Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A win over the Thunder proved a stepping stone in San Antonio's quest toward the postseason for the first time in the Wembanyama era. But even then, the two teams won't be directly comparable until the Spurs capture their sixth championship. Wembanyama still has something to prove in that regard.

He and Holmgren have vastly different expectations and responsibilities. It could be that comparing the two seems unfair to Wembanyama. Maybe it's why he celebrates Holmgren's missed free throws or rises up a little higher when contesting his shots.

If there is some animosity between the two spearheaded by Wembanyama's justified confidence, it might be a welcome change for a league lacking vintage disdain.

“(Nikola) Jokić is the best offensive player," Wembanyama said in separate interview. "I don’t think he’s the best player. (It’s) between Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Shai.

"When I come back to the court, it will be me.”

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