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Victor Wembanyama Was So Fired Up After Chet Holmgren Missed a Free Throw

Broadcast mics picked up Wembanyama's reaction to Holmgren's missed free throw.

Tim Capurso

Wembanyama and the Spurs are looking for its third victory of the season over the defending-champion Thunder.
Wembanyama and the Spurs are looking for its third victory of the season over the defending-champion Thunder. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have developed a competitive rivalry on the court during their three seasons in the NBA, as the two freakishly athletic big men have already authored several memorable showdowns when the Spurs and Thunder have faced off. The two clubs—and two star bigs—went head-to-head once again on Christmas Day, as the Spurs, who were already responsible for two of Oklahoma City's four losses this season, looked to defeat the Thunder for a third time.

In the heat of battle, broadcast mics picked up Wembanyama enjoying a bit of schadenfreude at the expense of Holmgren. With 48.7 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Holmgren dribbled into the painted area, pump-faked twice, got the Spurs big to leave his feet, then leaned into him as he shot to draw the foul.

After Holmgren missed the first free throw, Wembanyama wasn't shy on how he felt about the result, as the broadcast mics caught the Spurs big shouting, “Hell yeah!”

Wembanyama and Holmgren's head-to-head rivalry

Wembanyama and Holmgren have drawn comparisons due to their incredible height, shot-blocking skills and the versatility of their respective games given their size—and the two haven't disappointed when they've gone head-to-head in the past. In August of 2024, Holmgren denied there was any animosity between the two players, chalking it up as a back-and-forth between two competitors.

Wembanyama certainly hasn't hesitated to get into a different mental zone in the lead-up to matchups against Holmgren, such as when he seemingly refused to say the Thunder big's name before an October 2024 game. And while some comments made by Wembanyama have made it seem to some as if he was slighting Holmgren, there doesn't seem to be anything more than just two cutthroat competitors going at it.

And boy is it entertaining for the NBA.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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