Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki is a big admirer of Victor Wembanyama’s game, but he didn’t like the San Antonio Spurs superstar’s viral comment about Chet Holmgren. Ahead of the Spurs’ NBA Cup semifinal clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Wembanyama was rather dismissive of Holmgren’s game, stating anyone can be hard to guard when they play with the MVP, Shai Gilgous-Alexander.
That was disrespectful, and Nowitzki made it clear on NBA on Prime’s pregame show that he wasn’t happy about Wembanyama downplaying how good Holmgren is as a player.
“I do want to say, I didn’t love his answer about Chet,” Nowitzki said. “I wish he would’ve given him a little credit. You can say, ‘Hey, they have the MVP. Shai is incredible, but Chet has gotten better from year to year. He’s a champ, and I want to play hard against him.’ I didn’t love that answer.
“To me, it’s too swaggy, too dismissive of Chet,” Nowitzki added. “But hey, they might have something going and can’t wait. Get the popcorn out.”
Yes, Dirk, there has indeed been a little something going on between these two for a while. Before we get to that, here is exactly what Wembanyama had to say when Taylor Rooks asked him about the matchup with Holmgren on NBA on Prime.
“The reigning MVP is on that court, so he’s our main focus,” Wembanyama said. “Anybody is hard to guard when you have to help with the MVP.”
Does Gilgeous-Alexander make life easier on the court for Holmgren? Absolutely. Is Holmgren still a very good player? Yes, he is.
We don’t have a big sample size here, but Holmgren has played three games without Gilgeous-Alexander since the start of last season. His averages in them are 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. It should also be pointed out that he averaged only 25.3 minutes in these games and shot 60.5% from the field.
So, Holmgren certainly isn’t someone who is just getting carried by Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder are fortunate to have a player of his caliber among their ranks, and he is a big reason why they have been so good this season.
Now, why would Wembanyama be so dismissive? Well, there is reason to believe he isn’t all too fond of Holmgren. A rivalry appears to have formed between these two long before they faced off in the NBA.
Holmgren’s Team USA had beaten Wembanyama’s France 83-81 in the U-19 FIBA World Cup Final in 2021. The former was also named tournament MVP, and according to Yahoo’s Krysten Peek, the two bigs had exchanged words back then, leading to the birth of a rivalry.
You’d notice that Wembanyama didn’t mention Holmgren’s name when Rooks brought up the matchup. NBA writer Michael C. Wright revealed back in 2024 that he had refused to say the Thunder center’s name since he came to San Antonio. Wembanyama had been specifically asked about the Holmgren matchup at that time, and he instead spoke about the Thunder being a good challenge.
Then this year, NBA insider Marc J. Spears reported that Wembanyama took it personally when Holmgren won the 2025 NBA title with the Thunder. He had gotten one over him, and the Frenchman is said to be keen to level the score. While the chances of the Spurs winning it all this season don’t seem great, they did deal a blow to the Thunder by beating them 111-109 in this cup semifinal.
Wembanyama was the star of the show with 22 points (6-11 FG), nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks off the bench. He only played 21 minutes as he was on a minutes restriction, having missed the last 12 games due to a left calf strain. The Spurs were a +21 in the minutes Wembanyama played, and to have such an impact on the game after missing time is impressive.
As for Holmgren, he had 17 points (3-8 FG), seven rebounds, and one block on the night. He did come out second best, but he did have a plus-minus of +18 for what that’s worth.
After the game, Wembanyama rubbed salt on the Thunder’s wounds by throwing shade at them. This sure has all the makings of an epic rivalry.
The Spurs improved to 18-7 with the win here and will take on the New York Knicks in the final at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday at 8:30 PM ET.
The Thunder, meanwhile, dropped to 24-2 and will face off against the Los Angeles Clippers at Paycom Center on Thursday at 8 PM ET.
