The San Antonio Spurs are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, and rivalries are all anyone can talk about. This is especially true for NBA icon LeBron James, who recently discussed the rivalry between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren with former basketball legend Steve Nash.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“They be cheating. Wemby is a cheat code man. He’s a real-life cheat code, man. That dude is ridiculous,” LeBron James laughed when Nash mentioned that Victor Wembanyama could guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when the teams clash.
“And then, like Chet, what’s his response?” Nash posed, arguing that Holmgren has a lot to offer offensively. The player also has a new responsibility. OKC was eliminated by the Spurs in the 2025-26 conference finals. Therefore, Chet Holmgren and the team must find a suitable way to respond to the Spurs and make a statement.
“The narrative now is like, can Chet do anything with Wemby?” James explained to Nash in the recent episode of Mind The Game. “You know, so I know Chet’s probably been hearing this all summer, too. So, you know, has he used that as motivation as well?”
Of course, a player can’t give up all their energy focusing on a singular player. However, James understood that NBA players often have their own personal competition with others on the court. Wembanyama and Holmgren are the perfect example.
Have they ever addressed or accepted having a beef? Not really. However, fans have seen them become competitive forces against one another on the court. Moreover, there’s sufficient history between the two.
Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama’s unaddressed rivalry
Holmgren and Wembanyama first locked horns at the U19 World Cup Final in 2021. Wembanyama represented France while Chet Holmgren fought for the US of A. United States won, 83-81, in the finals, and Holmgren was the MVP.
The race was close. Victor Wembanyama was almost the MVP, and his competitive spirit saw it get stolen from him. In the 2023-24 season, Holmgren and Wembanyama were playing their first-ever rookie season. Holmgren was actually drafted a year prior by OKC but missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a foot injury.
The two had extremely powerful seasons. Wembanyama averaged 21.4 PPG in ther regular season while Holmgren had 16.5. The French player averaged 10.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Meanwhile, Holmgren had 7.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Who won the Rookie of the Year award? It was Victor Wembanyama.
Despite their competitive nature while playing with one another, the two never really opened up about their rivalries. However, some comments made by the players show fans that there’s a little more than meets the eye.
“No, I don’t think about that,” Victor Wembanyama said in 2025 when asked about his rivalry. “At least from a basketball standpoint, there’s no comparison between us.”
Similarly, Chet Holmgren was also asked about his take in December 2025. “I don’t think it’s ever been up to players or teams to declare rivalries,” he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “So you’re asking the wrong person.”
He also maintained that the two have rarely exchanged words. However, the basketball world has accepted this as one of the most heated and interesting rivalries in the current NBA landscape.